It's not too late
by FelixFelicisWriter
Summary: When Severus Snape entered the Room of Requirement, he certainly wasn't expecting that. A different kind of travel back in time fic. Snape x muggleborn OC
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**Title:** It's not too late

 **Summary:** When Severus Snape entered the Room of Requirement, he certainly wasn't expecting that. A different kind of travel fic. Snape x muggleborn OC

I don't own Harry Potter. The only character I own is my OC, Maria Ruiz.

 **Notes:** it's my first fanfic, so reviews are welcome (good and bad ones)

 _ **Prologue**_

 _Hogwarts, September 2016:_

"Ruiz, Maria," McGonagall's voice ressonated across the Great Hall.

A seventh year girl who hid her nervousness quite well went towards the Headmistress. She sat down and the old witch put the sorting hat on her head.

"Well, well… What do we have here? You are as hardworking and dependable as a Hufflepuff, but you aren't suited for it. Mmm… What about Gryffindor? You can be brave when you want to… No, it isn't for you. Let's see… Always top of the class, aren't you? You're a curious and intelligent girl…"

Maria was starting to get impatient. _"The sorting hat is old. Surely, one would think it has experience with this kind of things… It's not like it has done anything in its life except sorting people like me. Couldn't it shout out the house one belonged to faster? Apparently not,"_ she thought, exasperatedly.

The hat chuckled at that, startling the transfer student.

"You certainly have Slytherin sass, girl. I can hear your thoughts, you know?" Embarrassed, she swallowed soundly as the hat kept going, "Sorting someone isn't that easy… You actually seemed a Slytherin from the beginning…"

"What's the problem then? Sort me there."

The sorting hat sighed and replied, "I would, but you are muggleborn and the blood prejudice might not do you good, you know? Ravenclaw may be a safer option..."

"Pardon me?! You are not sorting me in a house because of blood prejudice?! It's 2016! For Merlin's sake!"

"I'm just pondering the possibilities; I still haven't made a decision."

"Then I'll decide for you. It's about bloody time someone stops this blood status nonsense. I will show everyone what a muggleborn like me can do."

"In that case… SLYTHERIN!"

 _Hogwarts, September 1977:_

A young Severus Snape snuck out of the Great Hall. He simply couldn't be there, not after seeing James snogging his former best friend: Lily Evans. He had already attended six bloody sorting ceremonies; there was no way he was staying to see another one. He just needed to forget about Lily. He had lost her and it was his entire fault. With that thought in mind, he entered the Room of Requirement. Little did he know he wouldn't be alone in there…

...

 **Chapter 1**

When Severus Snape entered the Come and Go Room, he expected to find himself surrounded by a cauldron and some ingredients for potions, as usual. Brewing and experimenting always managed to relax him. While he was focused on preparing potions, he didn't think of anything or anyone else: no Lily, no Potter, no Mulciber… It was peace, his little paradise: just himself and his potions. Nevertheless, when he entered, the scenario was surprising to say the least: a white room with no furniture.

It wasn't empty though… There was someone lying on the floor. Severus plodded forward. When he was close enough he saw it was a girl around his age who seemed to be asleep. He took in her appearance: brown wavy hair that fell past her shoulders, pale skin with some freckles, full pink lips, oval face and a small snub nose. She was wearing glasses. Even lying on the ground one noticed she wasn't tall. She was neither thin nor overweight, with all the right curves in all the right places. She certainly was beautiful… But that wasn't what caught Severus's eye: it was the uniform, the slytherin one, to be precise. Sure, he wasn't a very social person, but he would remember a student from his own house. She couldn't be new either because the sorting ceremony had just begun. So who was she and why was she asleep in the secret room?

"Excuse me…" Severus muttered. "Wake up."

He realized he wouldn't succeed if he kept using that approach, so against his better judgement, he kneeled down, grabbed her shoulder and lightly shook her. This seemed to do the trick for the next thing he knew, black eyes met brown eyes.

"How did I get here? Where are we?"

"We're in the Room of Requirement and I don't know how you got here."

The mysterious girl sat up and frowned.

"You look familiar… What's your name?"

Her voice wasn't very high pitched, like most girls. It actually sounded smoky. She had an accent, but Snape couldn't quite place it.

"Snape, Severus Snape."

She snorted and sassed, "Yes, right. And I'm the Queen of England. Come on, what's your real name?"

"I told you, I'm Severus."

"Look, we don't know each other, but let me get this straight. I don't tolerate liars. So will you tell me your name, or what?"

Severus was beginning to lose his patience so he spat, "I am Severus Snape and I'm no liar."

The brown-haired girl put her face close to his, as if examining him. The thin teenager was too shocked to move. Their noses were barely touching and Severus could feel her hot breath on his face, making his cheeks turn bright crimson. At this distance, he was able to see that behind her glasses, her brown eyes had flecks of green in them.

"It can't be…" she mumbled, pulling away. "Are you a relative of Severus Snape, the war hero?" She nearly added that the hooked nose must run in the family, but thought better of it.

"War hero? What are you talking about?" Snape exclaimed, now really confused.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Am I the only one who pays attention to History of Magic class?"

He raised his eyebrows at her outburst, but didn't comment.

Shrugging, the girl explained in a lecturing tone, "Severus Snape died in the final Battle of Hogwarts, 2nd May 1998. He had previously worked as a spy for Albus Dumbledore and the Order." She couldn't help but add in a sarcastic tone, "Does that ring a bell?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about! 1998? It's 1977!"

The teenager froze at his words… A few seconds later though, she burst into laughing.

"That was a good one! I nearly fell for it! 1977!"

"I'm not lying and I'm getting tired of your nonsense. Who are you, by the way?"

"Maria Ruiz."

"You're Spanish, then."

She rolled her eyes at the obvious observation.

"I'm from Barcelona…"

"What year are you in?"

"7th year."

He snorted. "You say I'm lying? You're the liar! One would think we would know each other, being in the same year and house, so cut the act."

The Spanish girl stared at him intently for a few seconds. It was making Severus feel nervous, but he kept his cool on the outside. Something seemed to click then and Maria babbled, "Wait! I remember how I got here! I was angry and I wanted to change the rivalry between houses… Then I found myself in a room with a door. I opened it and the next thing I know is you woke me up…"

She bit her bottom lip nervously and asked, "Would you believe me if I said I think I might have travelled back in time?"

"What?" Snape blurted out.

"Think about it. I know about a Severus Snape, although he died before I was born… And you said it's 1977! Last time I checked we were in 2016!"

Severus had heard enough.

"Look, we'll get out of here and I'll accompany you to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey will help you…"

"I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me!" she screeched exasperatedly. "Legilimency. I know you were a good legilimens. Have you mastered the art yet? You can find your answers then! Please!"

Something in her eyes made Severus reconsider it. How did she know he was a legilimens anyway? He had never seen her before and he hadn't told anyone. There was something odd about her. Her whole composure told him she wasn't lying, so either, she was telling the truth, she was a great actress and was pulling his leg or she was crazy. He wasn't sure which option he preferred. In the end, he nodded.

"Perfect! Go on," encouraged Maria.

total stranger was about to enter her mind. Anybody in their sane mind would act apprehensively, but she trusted him. Severus deemed it was weird she didn't show nervousness or fear. The girl intrigued him, that was for sure.

Severus wasn't prepared for what he saw in her mind, especially the muggle world: entirely different cars, TVs, something he guessed that was a telephone inside a little thin flat box, many gadgets… It certainly looked like a futuristic version of the muggle world.

"What the hell was that?" Severus asked in a low scared voice.

Maria smirked and said, "That's 2016, _amigo_. Do you believe me now?" [ _amigo_ = friend]

"Wait! You said I died in a battle?"

She nodded with a sober expression on her face, "Many people did. The Second Wizarding War was horrible."

Severus looked troubled but the mysterious girl paid him no mind.

"Wait! Maybe that's why I was sent here!" she cried out, catching his attention. "To prevent all those slaughters! To prevent the war! I know how it ended, so I can find the way to finish it sooner and without so many people losing their lives. I read about the Room of Requirement in _Hogwarts: A History_. It gives you whatever you need, right? It makes sense! The wars were caused because of prejudices and rivalries, among other things, and I wanted to stop it." She kept rambling on and on until she asked the only other person in the room, "Why did you enter this room? What did you need?"

Blushing, he mumbled, "None of your business, Ruiz."

Maria put her hands on her hips and looked at him sceptically. "Doesn't it have to do with Lily P-Evans?" she corrected herself.

His eyebrows immediately lifted in alarm. Why would she know about Lily? Why would she assume it had to do with her?

"Why do you know her? Did she…" he trailed off then, struggling to articulate the word. He inhaled and tried again. "Did she pass away too?"

The slytherin girl had read Severus Snape's biography. She knew his patronus was a doe, like Lily's, his best friend, the woman he loved. So as softly as she could, she whispered a _yes_.

"I'm helping you," he stated, a fierce determination etched on his features.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not going to stand by knowing there's a chance to save her. You know the answers. You can stop the war. I'm helping you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Severus Snape and Maria Ruiz were still discussing in the white empty room.

"I'm telling you! We must talk to Dumbledore!" the brown-eyed girl insisted.

"No way! I don't trust the old twat!" spat Severus. That confession surprised her. Why wouldn't he trust 'the old twat' as he put it? He had spied for him. He had even died for him. Raising an eyebrow, Maria inquired, "May I know why is it?"

"I have my reasons," was his vague answer.

Knowing she wouldn't get a more concrete answer she sighed in defeat and gave in, "Fine, we won't tell Dumbledore, at least for the time being. However, he is a wise man, we must be extremely careful. We should make up an excuse..." She pondered about it for a few seconds and suggested, "We can tell him you found me near the school, you saw I was a witch and decided to bring me to him. I'll say I have amnesia, and he will probably accept me as a student. Does that sound good to you?"

He nodded. "There's a flaw, though: your robes."

Maria grinned slyly at that. She cluthced her wand and rapidly transfigured her uniform into muggle clothes from the 70s she had seen in old films. Normally, transfiguration required a lot of concentration and Severus had to admit it wasn't his best subject. Hence, he was truly impressed by her flawless technique and speed of the incantation, but he neither uttered a word nor showed any expression on his face. It was clear she wasn't stupid.

"Is it good enough?" Maria asked bewildered by his lack of response.

"I guess… Are you going to tell me now how to stop the war?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "It's complicated… I think we've done enough for today. We can't plan how to stop a war in one night. We'll go step by step. I believe it's the most rational thing to do, don't you agree?"

Severus clenched his fists in irritation at her answer. There was nothing else he desired more than saving Lily's life. Nonetheless, deep down he knew she was right. Thus he took a deep breath to calm down and nodded.

"We should go. The sorting ceremony is over."

Surprised, Maria cried out, "Wait, what? Sorting ceremony? You didn't mention you were skipping the bloody ceremony! Dumbledore will be surrounded by students and teachers then, still eating in the Great Hall. If I appear there, people will get suspicious."

"That won't happen because it's already past curfew," he replied rolling his eyes and showing her his watch to prove his point. Without wasting more time, they got out of the Come and Go Room. The contrast of the lighted room with the dark corridors unsettled the teenagers, who whispered at the same time _lumos_. At this, brown eyes and black eyes met. They stared at each other. There was something about those obsidian orbs that seemed to drawn Maria. Snapping out if it, she muttered, "Let's go!"

Snape immediately parted towards Dumbledore's office, wondering why he had stared at her in the first place. He wasn't usually affected by girls, and even less if they weren't Lily.

"Wait! Not so fast! My legs aren't as long as yours and I don't want to get lost," Maria protested. Sighing loudly and without masking his frustration, Severus took her hand and nearly dragged her along until they found themselves in front of the office door. Maria gulped soundly.

"Are you ready?" he asked in a low voice.

"As ready as I can be," she answered truthfully, although she looked a little jumpy. In that moment, Severus noticed he was still holding her hand. Embarrassed, het let her go. She hadn't seemed to notice it. It was either that, or she didn't let it show on her features. Severus felt a little disappointed and he couldn't explain why. They had just met, for Merlin's sake! Maria took a big breath and added, "Let's do this."

Severus knocked. A few moments later, an old man with long beard opened the door. Totally ignoring the girl's presence he said,"Good night, Mr. Snape. I don't remember seeing you in the Great Hall. May you tell me why?"

"I wasn't there. I missed the train. When I finally reached Hogwarts's grounds, I found her. She was lost, sir. I thought it would be best to bring her to you."

During his explanation Severus kept a cold face, emotionless and stoic. It was as if he was wearing a mask.

"I see… What's your name, young girl?"

She swallowed her nerves and answered, "Ruiz, my name is Maria Ruiz."

"Spanish? Interesting… How did you get to Hogwarts, Miss Ruiz?"

"I don't know… I don't remember it…" she replied with a trembling voice, shaking her head.

Frowning, Dumbledore enquired, "What's the last thing you remember, Maria?"

"I… I was with my parents when someone attacked us. My parents… Th…They're gone," she stuttered. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and she seemed to be hyperventilating. Dumbledore looked at her with pity and Severus couldn't believe his eyes: the twat was buying it! He had to admit Maria was a pretty convincing actress. No wonder she was slytherin.

"Next thing I remember is this boy…" she trailed off and started sobbing, hiding her face.

The beardy man put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "I'm sorry, Miss Ruiz."

A few moments passed and Maria appeared to have her breath slightly under control.

"Where have you been studying magic?"

"My father taught me. I was home-schooled, but now…" she stopped mid-sentence, but everybody understood what she meant. Giving her a sympathetic look, Dumbledore offered, "Would you like to study here?"

Maria looked at him with wide eyes of astonishment and threw her arms around the man, nodding her head and repeating _thank you_ over and over again. All this time Severus stood awkwardly. All this sentimentalism was too much for him. She pulled away mumbling an apology.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, child." She smiled and wiped her tears with her sleeve. "We'll get you sorted. Severus, stay with her." And with that said Dumbledore left the room.

Once they couldn't hear his steps, Snape whispered, "How the hell did you manage to cry like that?" She just gave him a sad look and shrugged, "When something has really happened to you, it is easier to act it out. The best liars always tell the truth... That's what they say." Noticing his condolatory look she hurriedly added, "They're not dead, but they're definitely gone. My parents are younger than us right now…"

Understanding invaded the seventeen-year-old boy as another tear fell down Maria's face. They waited in tense silence until Dumbledore returned. He was holding the sorting hat in one hand and the uniform and sleeping robes in the other. He put the clothes on the desk and motioned for her to sit down.

"Please, take a seat, Miss Ruiz."

She obeyed and immediately felt the pressure of the hat on her head. Before it could utter any word, Maria thought, "Slytherin, please. Sort me there."

"Are you sure? You could be better off in Ravenclaw… You certainly have the brains for it…"

"I am cunning, ambitious and resourceful. And I want to be with Severus…" she kept on thinking.

The sorting hat seemed to ponder this and finally shouted, "Slytherin!"

Maria let out a sigh of relief and smiled gently at Severus, making him slightly blush. He didn't know what to make of her. Nobody except Lily had ever smiled at him… It was not something he was used to and it made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Dumbledore gave her the clothes and Maria muttered a sweet thank you.

"There's only one thing left. Please, select the subjects you want to pursue for your NEWTs." The old man handed her a list and Maria did as she had been told. Severus was able to see askance as she marked the subjects of Charms, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Alchemy and Transfiguration, of course.

"Perfect. Please Mr. Snape, if you would be so kind to show Maria her dorm..." Albus requested politely.

"Follow me."

"Thank you for everything, sir."

Once they were out of ear, the headmaster whispered distrustfully, "What are you two hiding from me?"

* * *

Severus and Maria made their way silently to the Slytherin Common Room in the dungeons. Images of the future he had seen kept passing by the black-eyed boy's mind, keeping him distracted and filling him with doubts.

"Everything I saw through legilimency… That was muggle, right?" Severus wondered once they were in front of the door.

After some hesitation, she replied, her voice only above a whisper, "Yes."

"Are you…?"

"Yes, I am muggleborn. But I'm not stupid. I'll pretend I'm a half-blood. It'll make our job considerably easier. Promise me you won't tell anybody," she begged fearfully.

There was something about her eyes that made him promise her just that, despite being a total stranger. Then he proceeded and muttered the password, "Parseltongue."

The door opened and they stepped in.

"I already know where my chambers are. Have a good night, Severus."

Maria left to the girl's dormitories before she heard Severus murmuring back,"Good night, Maria."

She went upstairs and found that nearly all rooms were full, so she took the free one and lay on the bed. Thoughts of the life she had left behind and would never have again haunted her for hours. Exhausted, sleep finally called her.

On the other side of the dungeons, Severus kept tossing and turning on the bed, thinking of Maria Ruiz, possibly the only muggleborn slytherin witch. She was one of a kind, he was sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Maria woke up and took a shower. As she felt the hot water hitting her pale skin she began to overthink… What did she get herself into? Why did she have to travel back in time? What about her family, her friends? What about all the plans she had made for the future? It all faded away. She couldn't escape this. She felt the urge to cry but realized it would solve nothing. She was slytherin, so she turned this situation into an advantage: she would avoid the war at all costs. Knowing that Severus, a war hero, was by her side tranquilized her a great deal.

She got dressed, brushed her hair and went to the Common Room. All eyes were on her, all eyes except a pair of black ones that had caught her attention last night. There were three boys who seemed to look at her with distrust: a blonde one, a sandy-haired one and a dark-brown-haired one. The sandy-haired one was in the middle, and Maria got the impression he was the leader of the pack of hungry wolves. She bit her bottom lip in nervousness.

"Who are you?" the blonde boy asked her in a rude manner.

Gulping, she answered, "Maria Ruiz."

The brown-haired boy lifted an eyebrow and commented, "You weren't on the sorting ceremony…"

"I missed the train, so I didn't get here until late," she immediately made up.

Crossing his arms, the sandy-haired boy inquired, "Ruiz, eh? You don't seem to be from here… You are a pureblood, right?"

Maria had expected this kind of question, but she had never thought it would have come right behind saying her name. These people were clearly obsessed with blood purity, something that Maria, being a muggleborn, couldn't really understand. She was a witch, with or without magical parents, thank you very much. The Spanish girl looked the sandy-haired boy in the eye and lied, "My father was a wizard, my mother wasn't."

"Have you heard that, Snape?" he leered. "The new one is a filthy halfblood. Maybe you should ask her out. You'd make a cute pair of halfbloods. Oh! I forgot! You despise everything muggle-related too, right? Like your ex-friend, that good-for-nothing mudblood."

"Shut up, Mulciber," a deep voice hissed. Severus had just come into the Common Room. He had bags under his eyes and Maria thought he looked paler than the other day. _He musn't have slept much_ , she thought.

"We're going to have breakfast. See you, Ruiz," Mulciber snarled.

When they left, the brown-haired girl let out a sigh of relief. She noticed Severus was clenching his fits, turning his knuckles white. His black eyes were locked on the spot where Mulciber and his gang had disappeared. Maria took his hand and asked him softly, "Are you alright?"

Severus snapped out of his little trance and stared at their intertwined fingers. The feeling was foreign yet warm. Not used to it, he immediately pushed her away. Maria was a little hurt by his gesture, but she didn't let it show on her features.

"Severus?"

"What?" he rudely spat.

"Don't listen to them. I don't know them, but they seem like trouble. And about Lily... Maybe I can help you. I'll help you win Lily's friendship back. That's what you want, right?"

Severus was speechless. No one had ever offered him help. He was used to working alone and he liked it that way.

"I don't want your help, Ruiz," he sneered.

Maria wasn't surprised by the answer. He seemed to have many trust issues, but seeing their classmates, who wouldn't? She did what she considered the wisest move: let it pass and help him out later. He couldn't be helped if he didn't want to receive the help in the first place. They had just met yesterday, so she understood that something that personal would make him feel vulnerable. And nobody likes to feel vulnerable, especially in front of strangers.

"Do you want to have breakfast now?" the brown-eyed girl proposed nicely.

Severus was surprised at her change of topic, but he was glad she had stayed. Usually, the snarls and snarky remarks which slipped from his lips shooed people away. Yet, Maria acted as if nothing had happened. This girl really bewildered the young man, but he wouldn't show it.

They went to the Great Hall and sat as far from Mulciber and company as possible. They ate in silence, something which Maria didn't quite like. She was going to ask Severus what his first subject of the day was when she saw he was staring at something with mad yet sorrowful eyes. When she turned her head she saw a redhead snogging someone. She immediately guessed those where Lily and James, Harry Potter's parents. Glancing back at Severus she couldn't help but feel pity. He was so in love with someone that would never love him back like that, if Harry wasn't proof of that.

"Hey!" she mumbled as gently as she could, to gain his attention. When he looked at her, she continued in the same tone, "Don't think about it now, ok? It won't do you good."

He didn't utter a word and an awkward atmosphere was formed between both teenagers. On the one hand, he didn't like one bit that the girl knew so much about him, his deepest secrets. On the other hand, she wasn't making fun of him. Rather, she expressed her desire to help him. It was a comforting feeling that made him feel warm.

"I have Ancient Runes. What about you?" she wondered in order to break the uncomfortable air.

"Herbology."

"Oh! Well, maybe we'll see each other later anyway. Today I have Ancient Runes, Potions, History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

He shrugged and in a monotone voice replied, "Herbology, Potions, Astronomy and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

A bright grin developed on her face as she exclaimed, "That's good! I'll see you in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts then. We should hurry up though. Classes are about to begin. By the way, do you know anyone who takes Ancient Runes? I don't know if it'll be the same place than in the future…"

He stared at the floor and said, "Lily Evans does…"

Maria gave him a sympathetic look and mumbled, "Thanks, Severus. See you later."

The muggleborn witch got up and followed a redhead girl, who was showing her back.

"Excuse me! Are you Lily Evans?"

Green eyes met brown. When Lily saw Maria was a slytherin, she visibly tensed. Nonetheless, she tried to keep a polite tone and answered, "Yes."

"You see, I'm new here. And I've been told you take Ancient Runes too. I was wondering if you could tell me where the class is. Please?"

Seeing she was being honest and seemed harmless, Lily relaxed a little and offered to accompany her. After all, they were going to be classmates and she was a Head Girl. It was her duty.

"I'm Maria Ruiz, by the way," Maria said extending her hand and smiling. Lily seemed to be taken aback. Last time she had been friends with a Slytherin, it hadn't ended particularly well. All the same, she shook her hand and muttered, "Nice to meet you."

When they arrived to their destination they sat down. Lily looked uncomfortable with Maria by her side, but the snake girl wasn't one to give up. She was about to start a conversation when the slytherin blond boy from before entered the room.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Ruiz, you should know that slytherins don't talk to gryffindors and mudbloods. Tell you what? I'll do you a favour. Sit next to me. You don't want to get infected by her filthiness."

Maria really didn't like those arrogant two-faced boys. Fed up, she shot back, "Oh, really? This morning your friend called me filthy halfblood. Let me remind you that you didn't disagree. Yes, this girl is a Gryffindor and a muggleborn, but she's been nice enough to show me the way without insulting me. Forgive me if I prefer to sit by her side rather than to listen to you ramble garbage."

Lily narrowed her eyes at Maria, clearly disconcerted by her comment. It was the first time she heard a slytherin putting Rosier in his place, defendinf muggleborns

The blond boy was fuming inside. It was easy to tell that nobody had ever been so blunt with him.

"Have it your way, Ruiz."

He sat in the last row, far from the new student. When he was out of ears, Lily cried out, "That was amazing! I've never seen anybody talking to Rosier like that, and even less a slytherin!"

Maria blushed and confessed, "I don't know if I've done the right thing… That Rosier and his friends look dangerous."

Lily was about to reply when the Professor entered. The class began.

* * *

"I think I'll have fun this year. Ancient Runes is one of my favourite subjects," Maria commented.

"I like it too, but I'll admit I prefer others. Ancient Runes is quite complicated…" answered Lily.

"I still love it. Do you have Potions now?"

"Affirmative."

"Great! Can you show me the way again, please?"

Lily chuckled and together, they walked towards the dungeons.

"Hey, Lily, come here!" a handsome boy with grey eyes shouted, once they stepped into the classroom.

Maria smiled and encoraged, "Go on, I'll find a seat."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

In that moment Mulciber, Rosier and the dark-haired boy entered the room, with Severus by their side. Maria frowned.

"You think you can humiliate us, don't you? Evan's told us everything," the brown-haired boy hissed.

"Somebody had to put you down in your place," Maria countered back with fiery determination.

"You've made a big mistake, Ruiz. You'll regret it," Mulciber threatened.

Then, they sat down together. Snape gave her an apologetic look that didn't lessen Maria's sentiment of betrayal. Why would he sit with them? They had also picked on him that morning.

All of sudden, someone grabbed her hand. She jolted and turned around, only to see it was the Head Girl.

"We've seen everything. Sit with us, Maria."

"But I'm slytherin! What will your friends say? We aren't supposed to talk to each other."

"You weren't supposed to shut Rosier down either. Slytherins have a certain disregard for the rules, don't they? Besides, my friends are actually impressed by you. They want to meet you," Lily argued.

Maria smiled broadly and muttered a _thank you_. She sat down in a table surrounded by lions.

"Guys, this is Maria Ruiz," Lilys introduced her.

"That was bloody amazing! I've never seen anyone doing something like that! And to Rosier, of all people! I'm Sirius Black, by the way," the handsome boy from before commented.

"Indeed. I'm Remus Lupin." He had lots of scars on his face. Maria wondered what had happened to him, but thought it was rude to ask about the scars, so she kept silent and grinned at him.

"Peter Pettigrew." Peter seemed to glance at Maria with an admiration which didn't go unnoticed by her. In fact, it made her feel a little uncomfortable. Nonetheless, she smiled at him too.

"James Potter, Lily's boyfriend and Head Boy," the last member finally said.

"Nice to meet you all guys."

The auburn-haired girl smiled and explained, "We have met earlier today. It's the second time she confronts someone from Mulciber's gang."

"What? I would have paid to see that…" James mumbled.

"Are you sure you weren't made to be a Gryffindor?" Sirius added. He didn't seem to be joking, though. This angered Maria, although she managed to keep her emotions in check. What was the deal? Did they think all slytherins were jerks? Apparently so.

"Look, I have nothing against Gryffindor, but I'm Slytherin, through and through. It's not something bad, you know? I'm not Mulciber, if you haven't noticed. Besides, the sorting hat seriously considered sorting me to Ravenclaw as an alternative… Not Gryffindor."

"You're right. You definitely aren't Mulciber, Maria. The sorting hat nearly sorted me to Ravenclaw too," Lily replied in a friendly way.

Professor Slughorn entered the room, putting an end to the discussion.

"Welcome to your last Potions year. As you all are well aware of, you will sit the NEWTs, so you'll need to study a lot. We have no time to waste, so please, take out your Advanced Potions books and brew Shrinking Solution in groups. You may start."

There were only three groups: the marauders plus Lily and Maria; Mulciber and his friends (including Snape); and a group of some hufflepuffs and ravenclaws.

All of them got to work. Maria seemed to be comfortable around the gryffindors, Snape noticed from the distance. It awakened in him a strange feeling. Was it jealousy? That was stupid, wasn't it? It hadn't been a whole day since he met her. He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the task.

By the end of the class, Horace Slughorn congratulated Severus's group. _Not surprising_ , Maria thought. Anyway, the shrinking solution from her group was nearly as good as Snape's, so she was proud. Unlike transfiguration, potions didn't come naturally to her, but Lily was pretty good at it, which had helped.

"I must say, it's the first time I've worked voluntarily with a slytherin… And it wasn't that bad," Sirius admitted.

Maria rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Right back at you."

Sirius smirked at her response, a special twinkle in his grey eyes.

"It's time for lunch…" Peter babbled. By his expression, everybody could tell he was clearly hungry, making the group laugh.

"I'll get going then, guys. It's been a pleasure!" the brown-eyed girl mumbled. She made a move to leave but someone grabbed her hand. It was Sirius.

"Wait! What classes do you have later?"

"History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"We'll see each other in Defense Against the Dark Arts, then. Until then," Sirius replied with a grin.

"Lily and I take History of Magic too, Maria," added Remus.

"Yes, I can show you the way again," Lily chuckled.

"Perfect. See you later, guys."

With that said, Maria went to the Great Hall.

"Do you trust her, Lily? You know what happened the last time you befriended a snake…" James expressed worriedly.

Lily kissed his cheek and assured, "Don't worry, James. You weren't there. She didn't just defend herself against Rosier, she also defended me. It's too soon to say anything, but I have a good feeling about her."

"If you say so…"

* * *

Maria spotted Severus in the Slytherin table. There was no sign of Mulciber, so she joined him. She knew this conversation would be hard, so with a soft tone she greeted him, "Hi, Severus."

"Hi," he muttered without meeting her eyes.

Silence. Maria cleared her throat and tried again.

"About this morning…"

"You were with Lily," he cut her off. His voice held a resentment tone. "Not only that. You were with Potter and his gang."

Getting angry, she retorted, "You have no right to judge me when you hang out with people like Rosier or Mulciber. They insulted you this morning, for Merlin's sake! Yet, you don't seem to have a problem with being another of Mulciber's puppets."

Flashes of Lily saying similar things passed through Severus's mind. He was lost in his thoughts when Maria screamed, "Are you even listening to me?"

The girl stared at Severus's eyes. She saw vulnerability there, even though his face was emotionless. Maria's expression softened.

"I'm sorry, Severus. It must be difficult for you to see Lily with James. And I suppose the fact that I hung out with them earlier doesn't make it any easier, but they've actually treated me way better than my own house."

He looked away.

"Severus… If what you said in the Room of Requirement is true, then we'll be working together. On the one hand, it isn't my intention to cause you any distress… On the other hand, I… I feel alone, okay? I have no one here, and they have behaved politely towards me. They made me forget for a moment I was in 1977 instead of 2016."

Understanding registered in the black orbs of the teenager. Contrary to popular belief, he had sentiments, especially sentiments of solitude and regret. He knew better than anyone what feeling alone was like and he could relate to her up to one point. Yet, his facial expression didn't change and he didn't utter any word. At his lack of response, Maria lowered her head and started to eat.

"I'm sorry too…"

She immediately raised her brown eyes to meet his, shocked.

"I shouldn't hang out with Mulciber. Besides, I'm definitely no one to tell you not to hang out with anyone, even if I don't like the company you choose."

She knew that it hadn't been easy for him to confess that, so she replied, "I'm not going to lie to you… I'll probably be with Remus and Lily during History of Magic, but I promise you, I'll stay by your side during Defense Against the Dark Arts. If they don't understand it, then maybe they aren't as good as they seem."

It was Severus's turn to be stunned. It hadn't been a whole day since they met, but Maria kept on surprising him.

"What you said to Avery, Rosier and Mulciber back in potions… That was unexpected to say the least," the boy whispered.

"So I've been told. But I meant every word."

* * *

As promised, Lily accompanied Maria to History of Magic. This time, Remus was with them, although they didn't have time to chat since class started as soon as they entered the classroom. After it, they went to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Ruiz! Fancy seeing you here!" exclaimed Sirius.

Maria simply rolled her eyes at his behaviour. His tone had been almost flirty, and the girl wasn't certain she liked that. She suddenly looked forward to spend time with her slytherin classmate of black eyes instead.

"Look, guys, I'd love to chat with you more, but I promised Severus I'd be with him now."

"You mean Snivellus? The greasy git?" Peter asked in disbelief.

Maria didn't like one bit the way they referred to Severus. She was starting to imagine the reason why Snape disliked them.

"His name is Severus Snape," she said fiercefully.

"Don't trust him, Maria," Lily intervened.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I was his friend once. It didn't end well."

"That's an understatement. He called her mudblood," her boyfriend added.

Mudblood? She would have to talk to Severus later…

"Look, you have to understand he is the only person of my house who hasn't disrespected me."

"Please! He was with Mulciber this morning!" Sirius shrieked.

"He isn't good for you, Maria," continued Remus.

"I made a promise, and I don't back down on promises. Besides, if I'm not with him, who will? Mulciber? He is bad for Severus. Maybe I can help him."

"It's not your fight, Maria," James said.

"It actually is. Do you know why the sorting hat shouted slytherin? Because I am ambitious enough to want to stop this prejudice nonsense. Houses and bloodstatus, both."

The marauders were speechless, and Lily glanced at her with a sad yet hopeful look. She seemed to be a different slytherin and she liked that.

"I'm sorry. I have to do this."

In that moment Severus came in. Maria waved at him and approached his figure. The marauders kept giving her preoccupated glances, but she pretended she didn't notice them. Severus and Maria took down theory notes side by side, until the class finished.

"Thank you, Maria."

"Whatever for?"

"For keeping your word."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Do you have any homework yet?" Severus asked Maria.

She shook her head.

"No, why?"

He lowered his voice so that only the witch could hear him and muttered, "I thought we could discuss how we are going to… you know? Stop a war and all…"

"Oh! Of course. It's better to talk about it now that we don't have much work… Do you have any idea where, though? No one can know about it…"

"Why? The place where we met seems ideal," Severus smirked, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Maria matched his smirk and replied, "Perfect."

This time, when they entered the Come and Go Room, they didn't find themselves in an empty white room. It was a flowering field, an infinite red sea of poppies. Maria smiled: nature always calmed her down. Severus would never admit it, but he was glad they could breathe some fresh air too. They sat down to get more comfortable.

"So? Tell me everything," Severus urged, breaking the silence.

Maria bit her lip. The skinny and tall teenager was very observant. He may have known this girl for a day, but he had already noticed Maria bit her bottom lip whenever she was nervous. And Severus was right. Maria couldn't be more edgy. What should she tell? Which things should she leave out and which should she confess? Should Severus know about Harry Potter?

Sighing, she began to talk, "Do you know what a horcrux is?" When Snape shook his head, Maria continued, "To put it simply, it's an object in which a person puts a piece of their soul. This way one can achieve-"

"Immortality," Severus cut her off.

"Yes, immortality. Voldemort…" she saw Severus cringed at the mention of the name. "Er…Sorry. He-who-must-not-be-named created horcruxes. So to put an end to the war, the first thing they did was to destroy these horcruxes. When You-know-who was mortal, he finally defeated him."

Frowning, he asked, "He?"

Maria bit her bottom lip again and avoided his intense look.

"What aren't you telling me?" he snarled suspiciously.

"There was a prophecy… Only one person could defeat him…" she babbled.

"Who?"

"That's unimportant…" Maria disregarded, hoping he would let it go. She didn't have such luck.

"Unimportant?! How are we going to defeat him without that guy from the prophecy?"

"He isn't even born yet, okay?" she spat. "Besides, do you really believe in prophecies?"

Severus didn't talk.

"We have possibilities, okay? We can do this… I was sent here for a reason. We will win."

Severus was still wary. Why wouldn't she tell him a name? Did he know this person? He finally let go and sighed before inquiring, "How many horcruxes did he make?"

Maria was relieved Severus seemed to let the guy of the prophecy slide. She didn't know what his reaction would have been if he had known that Lily and James had had a child: the Chosen One.

"A few: Tom Riddle's Diary, Marvolo's Gaunt Ring, Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, and some more which he didn't create until later…"

"Do you know where to find them?"

"No…" she shook her head.

"No? How are we supposed to destroy them?"

"Don't snap at me! I know where they were in the future, not now… And destroying them won't be simple either."

"Figures," he snorted. "How were they destroyed in the future anyway?"

"With basilisk's venom."

"What? Where the hell will we get basilisk venom from?"

"Nobody said it was easy, okay? That's why I told you Dumbledore had to know! He could help us."

"That old twat can't know! You promised!"

Maria reprimanded the urge to shake him for being so blind. After inhaling deeply in order to calm down, Maria conceded, "Look, the war didn't precisely finish in one day. We have a lot of work and research ahead of us, but we have an advantage: You-know-who doesn't know that two teenagers are planning his death, he doesn't know we are aware of his weaknesses."

Snape still didn't look convinced, so she took his hand and added, "We'll save Lily, Severus. We'll save as many lives as we can. I'm not giving up and you shouldn't either. If you help me we'll have a chance."

Severus had his black eyes set on their hands. He had to admit it: it felt nice to be touched. No one ever did it… No one but Lily, and occasionally, his mother. It had been years since someone had held his hand, and it made him feel nostalgic and, dare he say it, a little happier; but also uncomfortable and vulnerable. He pushed her hand away to shake the feelings off. He missed the warm sensation already.

This had been the second time Maria had tried to hold his hand that day. The first time he had immediately pushed her away. This time, though, he had let her do so for a few seconds. The thought drew a tiny smile on her face which Severus didn't note.

"Look, I think the we should research on horcruxes. We should know everything about them. After that, we should find the basilik blood. Once we have all of this sorted out, we should start searching for those horcruxes. And find a way to finish with Vold… Er… You-know-who. I think it's the most logical thing to do…"

He gave it some thought and slowly replied, "Indeed…"

Maria smiled and said, "Sounds like a plan… Shall we start researching on horcruxes now? We should go to the library…"

So they did that. The pair spent all the afternoon reading and researching on those dark objects until time for dinner arrived. They headed to the Great Hall and ate in silence. Maria felt someone staring at her: it was Lily. The red-haired girl approached Maria and Severus after they finished their meals.

"Hi, Maria!" she greeted.

Severus looked at his former friend with a passive expression. Maria frowned. "Hi! Aren't you going to greet Severus?"

Lily seemed taken aback and Severus exclaimed, "You don't have to do that, Maria. It's clear Lily wants to talk to you… I'll just go…"

"But…"

"No buts."

And just like that, he left. Maria looked at him sadly and then turned her attention to Lily.

"Maria… Have you been with him all the afternoon?"

"Why are you asking me?" she inquired, slyly avoiding the answer.

She sighed, "It's just… I meant what I told you. You seem to be the only good slytherin in the school and I wouldn't like to see you getting hurt, or worse, becoming one of them."

"Lily…"

"Let me finish, please. You said you wanted the house rivalries and the blood prejudices to end. That is very noble, but it's not something you can do. Nobody can do anything about it, and I'm scared they will make your life hell. If you hang out with me and the guys, you'll be more protected. If you hang out with Severus…" The gryffindor witch shook her head then. "He always chooses Mulciber, Maria. He called me mudblood. Can't you see? We are willing to give you a chance, but please, for your own good: Severus is like Mulciber, stay away from him."

Maria could see that Lily really meant what she said and she couldn't help but feel sad for Severus.

"Lily, you and your friends have treated me well. I… I'd love to be your friends, really. But I also want to be Severus's friend. I don't believe he's like Mulciber. And I'm aware that racism will always exist, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't fight it or try to reduce it. And just because he called you mudblood doesn't really mean he meant it…"

She snorted, "No offense, Maria, but you are a halfblood… You don't know what it feels like, to be called that."

Maria couldn't take it anymore, her eyes started to get wet.

"I know more than what you believe… Thanks for the advice, Lily, but I'd like to go to bed early… See you tomorrow?"

Lily noticed Maria looked like she was about to cry, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just tired," she lied easily, "Goodnight, Lily."

The brown-haired teenager started to ran along the corridors. The conversation she had just had with Lily was replaying non-stop in her mind. _You don't know what it feels like, to be called that._ If only she knew! Maria had felt it by first hand in hundred occasions. She had attended two different schools, before Hogwarts. The first one had been horrible for her. The blood prejudice had been alive and she nearly didn't attend the school because of her muggleborn condition. She had been accepted because she was a promising witch: she had gotten the best exam marks to enter that school, after all. Still, she had to work harder than the rest, she had to endure people looking at her as if she was an inferior, classmates calling her mudblood all the time… Her parents decided to change her school. She had never had problems again, but her stay in the first school had created an ambitious witch who always fought for justice. An ambitious witch who couldn't stand that mudblood non-sense. Tears started to fall from her eyes at all the nasty memories when she heard a voice crying out, _Sectumsempra!_

A huge gash appeared in her stomach and Maria fell with a thud as laughs invaded the corridor.

"We said you'd regret it, Ruiz. You are just a filthy halfblood and blood traitor who doesn't deserve to be in Slytherin. Salazar would have never allowed it. I hope you bleed to death."

Maria's vision was starting to turn black so she didn't see who her attackers had been. She didn't need to see them though; she knew it had been Mulciber, Avery and Rosier. With that thought in mind, she blacked out.

* * *

Regulus Black was walking down the corridor, heading to the dungeons when he saw a body amidst a blood pool.

"Bloody hell!"

He ran towards the figure and saw it was a slytherin student, older than him. He had never seen her before. _She must be the new one_ , he thought. He shook her softly, trying to wake her up, but to no avail. Then he tried hitting her, but still there was no reaction out of her. _Dammit!_ It was then he saw the enormous gash on the stomach.

"Sectumsempra…" he whispered.

Regulus knew the creator of that spell: Severus Snape. He had been there when he taught it to Mulciber. Without wasting more time, he ran towards the Common Room hoping with all his might he could help her.

Regulus muttered the password and entered. He found Severus reading a book on a couch, as always.

"Severus! You have to come with me, now!" he yelled.

They hadn't talked much, but when Severus saw the alarm in written on his face, he didn't question anything. He left the book, stood up, and followed Regulus through the Hogwarts corridors until they arrived to their destination.

"Maria?" Severus cried out horrified.

"You know her?"

Severus didn't answer though. He kneeled down and started to mumble the counter-curse, pushing aside all feelings of fear and focusing on the task at hand. Slowly, all the blood disappeared and her gash closed down.

"We have to bring her to the Infirmary, help me!" the black-eyed teenager screamed.

Together, they carried her to the Hospital Wing.

"Madame Poppy! Hurry please! She's lost a lot of blood!" Regulus shouted.

The medi-whitch immediately assisted the young girl with glasses. Severus and Regulus stood nearby, holding their breaths. A few minutes later, after giving her some potions, she turned to the teenagers and informed, "She's stable now. Thank Merlin you brought her here when you did. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if you got here a few minutes later. What happened?"

Severus and Regulus looked at each other but didn't utter a word.

"Well?"

"I found her in a pool of blood. I… I thought Severus could do something for her, so I got him and he muttered a counter-spell… Then we brought her here," explained Regulus.

"Is that right, Mr. Snape?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

She received a nod as a response.

"If you knew the counter-curse, then you must know the curse she was hit with. Can you tell me?"

Severus hesitated and finally replied, "It was SectumSempra…"

"I've never heard of it…"

"Few people know it," he immediately blurted out.

The medi-witch looked suspiciously at Severus. She knew there was something he wasn't telling her. And why would he know the curse and the counter-curse anyway? She let that pass and instead asked, "Do you have any idea who did this to her? And on the first day of class!"

Regulus had a fair idea but didn't dare to answer and incriminate his housemates. Severus looked thoughtful though. There were only four more people who knew about Sectumsempra: Mulciber, Rosier, Avery and Black. Hence, he spoke up slowly, "I believe it could have been Mulciber, Rosier or Avery."

"What makes you accuse them?"

"They had a misunderstanding this morning."

"I'll inform the headmaster… You can retire to your Common Room."

Poppy left. Severus was clenching his fists, making his knuckles turn white. There was a look of impotence on his weary face. When Regulus saw that, he muttered, "You saved her, Severus. You should be proud."

He snorted, "Proud? Saved her? I nearly killed her! I'm the one who invented the curse in the first place, remember?"

His tone was bittersweet.

"Mulciber was the one who took his wand, not you. I'll be leaving now… Good night."

Severus nodded, although he didn't glance at the boy. His eyes were fixated on Maria. Regulus left and Severus sat by her side. Carefully, he removed her glasses and placed them on a desk next to her bed. He took her hand. Her touch wasn't warm, like he remembered. Instead, it was cold. A nasty feeling appeared in his stomach at the thought.

"I'm sorry…"

When Poppy came back, she witnessed a scene that made her feel warm and fuzzy. Severus was asleep with his head on his crossed arms. He was holding the hand of the new student. Severus had never stayed with anyone in the Hospital Wing, only once with Lily Evans. Seeing him with another girl made the medi-witch smile sweetly despite the circumstances. _She must be someone really special if only after one day Severus already cares for her_ , she thought. After the events of the evening, she didn't have it in her heart to command him to return to his dorms.

* * *

Maria woke up next morning. The first thing she noticed was that her vision was blurry. Still, she could bet she was in the Hospital Wing. The second one, that someone was holding her hand. The third one was that she was feeling weak, even though she had just gotten some rest. Why was she there? Where were her glasses? Who was by her side? When she turned her head, he identified someone with long black hair and a hooked nose. She removed her hand from his and gently shook him to wake him up. When he did, his eyes widened.

"Maria! Thank Merlin! Er… I mean… Are you alright?" he stuttered fully awake.

"Good morning to you too, Severus…" she replied sarcastically.

"Er… Good morning…" he mumbled, blushing.

It was strange to see Maria without glasses; she seemed a totally different person. Severus had gotten used to see her with glasses. _It makes her look more interesting_ , he thought. _What? Where had that come from? Interesting? Maria?_ He snapped out of it when she asked, "Do you know where my glasses are? I can't see a thing…" she said with a giggle.

He handed her the glasses and she put them on.

"Better. Why am I here, Severus?"

"Someone cursed you. I think it was Mulciber. Do you remember it?"

Flashes of the sandy-haired boy and his gang came to her mind. Maria groaned and covered her forehead.

"I'll take that as a yes… Was it for what happened in yesterday morning?"

"Yes, they threatened me… But I didn't think they'd do something so soon…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Maria was confused. He looked enraged. Did he care for her?

"Oh, I don't know! If my memory serves me well, we were busy trying to save the world…" Sarcasm was evident in her smoky voice.

"You still could have t-"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she defended herself.

"That's why you are here," he countered back, silencing her. "If Regulus hadn't found you-"

"Regulus? Regulus Black?" interrupted the girl.

He moaned.

"Don't tell me he is also famous in your world…" he complained, making her chuckle.

Severus felt a strange feeling of pride when he did that, and he suddenly wished he could make her laugh more often. He didn't even understand why he felt like that.

"He is… Was he the one who brought me here? I'll have to thank him."

Severus sighed, "He got me, I muttered the counter-curse and we brought you here… Madame Pomfrey did the rest…"

Maria was in shock.

"You… You saved me? I… I don't know how to thank you, I…"

"You shouldn't be thanking me…"

"Why? You sav-"

"I am the one who invented the curse, Maria. That's who I am. That's why Lily will never talk to me again… And you shouldn't either."


	5. Chapter 5

_"You shouldn't be thanking me…"_

 _"Why? You sav-"_

 _"I am the one who invented the curse, Maria. That's who I am. That's why Lily will never talk to me again… And you shouldn't either."_

 **Chapter 5**

Maria's eyes softened.

"Severus…" she started softly, catching his attention. Once she was sure he was listening, she continued, "I still want to be your friend. Do I like it that you seem to have a thing for the Dark Arts? Absolutely not. Does this make me want to stop talking to you? No! If anything, it makes me more determined to help you."

"Maria, don't be stupid. You are beautiful, intelligent and fierce. You could do so much better than me…" The brown-eyed girl felt the heat starting to rise to her cheeks at the compliments, but quickly disregarded them and mumbled, "I thought stupid and intelligent were antonyms."

Severus rolled his eyes and ignored her comment. Instead, he nearly shouted exasperatedly, "I'm dangerous for you! Can't you see! You could have died yesterday because of people I hang out with! You'd be safer with Potter and his crew…" The slytherin boy lowered his head and avoided her eyes. Then, he declared, "We should have a business-like relationship, but it shouldn't become anything more."

Maria was starting to get tired of that senseless conversation, so she replied furiously, "Well, it's too late now. I won't stop trying to show you we can be good friends, like it or not. You have demonstrated you can be a good friend too. You were the one who stayed all night in the Infirmary and kept me company, even though I wasn't conscious. That's what friends do, Severus. Friends stay together, no matter the circumstances. Besides, I work better with friends, so the business-like relationship wouldn't be ideal..."

There was a long pause. Snape gulped and pondered the situation. If she meant half of the words she said, then he could finally gain a real friend. There was nothing else his heart craved for, but his mind wasn't certain. He was scared, scared of letting her enter his life and getting hurt in the process, or even worse, hurt Maria instead, like Lily. Severus let out a sigh and confessed in a low voice,"I'm not good at making friends… I only had one and I lost her… I-I'm afraid I will screw it up again and then defeating You-know-who wouldn't even be a possibility… I cannot let that happen. I won't let it happen."

Maria took his hand and he actually let her. Severus was starting to get used to her touch, he quite liked it. Giving it a light squeeze, she promised, "I won't let it happen either. I'm not giving up on you."

"You say so now. I'm bad-tempered, mean and obnoxious. And if that isn't bad enough, I always make the wrong choices…"

Maria grinned ruefully.

"Well, it's true. You are er… grumpy. But you know what? Nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. Look at me, you say I'm intelligent? I shouldn't have said anything to Rosier… It wasn't a smart move, if my position right now isn't of any indication. You said I'm beautiful and fierce. Well, you know what? I'm also obstinate, proud and sometimes moody. But that's okay. I know who I am and I've accepted myself. You have to learn to do the same. I believe you can do it, Severus. You may be bad-tempered, mean and obnoxious; but you also seem to be bright, dedicated and noble. We're not black or white. We're grey. And that's fine."

He had never looked so insecure in his life when he inquired, "Do you really mean it?"

Maria rolled her eyes playfully.

"While I was describing myself I forgot to say I'm honest with the people I care about, sometimes to the point of being rude. So yes, I meant it," she ended with a smile. "You don't have to be alone anymore."

There was a long pause in which both teenagers stared deeply at each other's eyes. Severus couldn't believe that someone like her would want to befriend him. The fact that she indirectly told him she cared about him was even more shocking. It was something foreign to Snape. Nobody cared for him. He had always been lonely, but the truth was that the few moments he had spent with the Spanish girl had made him feel better. He was about to ask her if she really cared for him, but looking at her face, she saw no trace of deception. A fuzzy feeling invaded his chest and he found himself thanking Maria with an emotion filled voice. The muggleborn smiled softly and squeezed his hand in response.

All of a sudden, her expression sobered.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you… I promise I'm not going away or anything… I just need to understand it…"

Maria was biting her bottom lip again. It made Severus feel nervous too, so he simply nodded, giving her permission to ask right away.

"There is not a right way to ask this, so I will be straightforward. Why did you call her m-mudblood?" Her eyes started to fill with tears at the last word. She hadn't pronounced the name of the girl, but there was no need to. He had only directed that horrible word to one person in his life.

"How do you know?" he snarled with narrowed eyes, pushing his hand away from hers briskly.

He felt ashamed. Severus knew Maria was a muggleborn witch too, and he feared that incident would crack his relationship with the only person who had treated him well since Lily cut ties with him.

Maria was hurt. She had thought he was starting to open up to her. Knowing she wouldn't get an answer if she didn't respond him, she confessed, "Lily and James told me. They don't seem to like you very much…"

He snorted, "I don't like Potter either."

Sighing, she asked again, "Will you tell me? I need to know…"

The intensity in his black eyes scared Maria a bit, but she didn't let it show.

"It's not easy for me to recall it… It's even more difficult for me to talk about it…"

As a few tears started to fall down her pretty face, Severus cursed himself. He didn't know how to act aroud emotional women.

"T-this insult has been directed at me before, and it's awful… Just tell me whether you meant it or not," she murmured with a quivering voice.

Maria knew he had been a Death Eater. Nonetheless, no one ever knew the reason why he had joined them. Could it be he really believed in blood supremacy while he was at Hogwarts? She really prayed that wasn't the case.

Snape stared at her for a long time and eventually whispered, "I didn't mean it. I will always regret it."

Maria felt thankful yet curious: why did he join them then? She compelled herself to drop the topic and focus on the relief that had captured her heart. Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Thank the Lord!" she cried out.

Severus immediately pushed her away and stressed, "I. do. _not_. like. _hugs._ "

Maria thought he looked adorable with the blush on his usually pale cheeks. She giggled and teasingly pouted, poking his chest to emphasize it, "Everybody likes hugs, even someone as grumpy as you. _Especially_ someone as grumpy as you." Softening her expression, she added, "I told you I'd be your friend, and friends respect each other… I wish one day you trust me with something as personal as that… What you've told me is more than enough though for the time being. Anyway, it's breakfast time. You should get going."

Severus stood up and was about to leave, when Maria's voice stopped him.

"Severus… May I ask for something friends generally to do?"

"What is it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It looks like I'll be staying in here, at least for today… So will you take notes of everything in class? Pretty pretty please? I hate to miss my lessons…" she complained.

He chuckled at her moue. He actually chuckled. Severus was even more shocked at his reaction than Maria. Anyhow, the little laugh had acted as a cure for all his worries.

"Don't worry. You'll have the notes."

She beamed and requested,"Visit me this afternoon, will you?"

"Of course, friend."

He turned around before Maria could distinguish something really rare in Severus face: a tiny smile.

* * *

Today Severus classes were Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration and Alchemy. _Dammit_ , he thought. _Maria doesn't study Herbology, she's taken Ancient Runes instead_. _I don't want to mess up this possible friendship with her on the first day… But who should I ask for the notes? Rosier isn't an option, obviously._ The hufflepuffs and ravenclaws who attended the subject had never talked to him. He doubted they'd be of any help… That left open only one possibility: Lily Evans. _Just great,_ he whined.

He went to the Charms classroom and sat in the first row. He knew Mulciber and his gang liked being in the last rows, so he'd be safe there. Besides, he could listen to Flitwick and the marauders sat across from him. The guys, especially Sirius, kept giving him murderous glances, but he ignored them. When the class finished, Sirius approached him, followed by his friends and Lily.

"What have you done to Maria? Why isn't she here?" he recriminated.

His grey eyes were dauntless. Matching his look, he whispered without really answering him, "Lower your voice, Black. I don't want people to gossip. I need to ask Lily something."

"Lily doesn't want to talk to you, Snivellus," he muttered wickedly.

Totally ignoring him, Severus approached his former friend.

"Lily…" he started in a soft voice.

"Sirius was right, Severus," she spat, putting her hands on her hips.

"Please, listen to me! It's got nothing to do with me! It's about Maria! She needs a favour!" he quickly babbled. "Please," he repeated, when he saw her green eyes didn't hold any fury.

"What's the matter?" she sighed.

"Could you please take notes of Ancient Runes and deliver them to Maria in the Hospital Wing?"

Her emerald eyes widened in alarm at this, "What? Hospital Wing? What happened? Is she okay?"

The marauders matched Lily's look and waited, holding their breaths.

"S-She was attacked last night, but she is stable now. Can you do this for her? Please, I'm already taking care of all the subjects of today, but Ancient Runes... I don't know who else to ask… "

Lily recalled all the times they were ill and did these kind of favours for each other… Was Severus substituting her for Maria? Why did she care anyway? She wasn't jealous, was she? Shaking these thoughts off, she promised, "I'll do it."

* * *

Maria was focused on reading _Hogwarts: A History,_ when she was interrupted by the headmaster.

"How are you feeling today, Ms. Ruiz?"

Maria smiled softly and muttered, "I'm a little tired, but I won't complain. I'm okay. Thanks for asking, sir."

The old man nodded and said gravely, "Madam Pomfrey reported me the incident. We have some suspects… Nevertheless, we cannot incriminate them if you don't identify the attackers… Tell me, child, do you remember who cursed you?"

Maria thought quickly and lied, "I-I was walking down the corridor lost in my thoughts and the next thing I know is waking up in this bed this morning. I'm sorry, Professor."

Frowning, Dumbledore insisted, "Are you sure? Mr. Snape suspected it was Mulciber, Rosier and Avery's doing due to an argument you had yesterday… What was the argument about, Ms. Ruiz?"

Maria's heart was beating so fast she was afraid it would jump out of her chest.

"It was something related to blood prejudice, sir."

"I see… What is your blood status?"

"I'm a halfblood sir, but in slytherin they don't treat you the same if you aren't a pureblood…"

He sighed, "Ms. Ruiz, do you believe the three students I mentioned before are responsible?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know… I don't remember what happened, sir. It could have been anyone…"

"In that case, I am in no disposition to do anything about the attack…"

"I understand."

"If you recall anything, let me know, Ms. Ruiz. I just want to help."

"I will, sir."

"Rest, child," and with that, the headmaster left, but not before thinking why the girl would lie to him.

* * *

"Drink this, dear," Poppy ordered, offering her a flask which contained a maroon liquid.

"What is it?" Maria asked, frowning.

"You lost a lot of blood, dear. This has helped you recover."

Nodding, she emptied the vial. Maria pulled a face which nearly made the medi-witch laugh. "Yuck! It tastes horrible!" she cried out.

"I know, but you need it. I'll cast a few spells to confirm you're fine to continue with your classes tomorrow. Don't move."

Poppy proceeded and finally claimed, "All good. You shall leave the Infirmary tomorrow morning."

Maria smiled.

"Thanks, Madam."

"You're welcome, Ms. Ruiz. I see you have a visit. I'll leave you two alone."

When the witch left, the brown-eyed girl spotted a young boy who looked a lot like Sirius.

"You must be Regulus Black. You look a lot like Sirius," she guessed.

"You've met my brother?"

"Yes… Severus told me everything. I wanted to thank you for getting him last night, I wouldn't have survived otherwise," she replied in all sincerity.

"You're welcome… Are you feeling better?"

"Yes! Thanks for asking," she said with a smile.

In that moment, Snape entered the room with some parchments and two books.

"Regulus?" he asked, disconcerted because of the presence of the Black brother.

"Hi, Severus! I was visiting her…"

"I noticed," he snarled.

"Severus, be nice!" Maria hissed.

Severus's pale cheeks turned cherry pink. He gave her the parchments and the books without uttering a word. When she saw they were the notes she had asked for, her face beamed, "Thanks Severus, you are the best!" and threw her arms around his neck, again. The black-haired teenager blushed even more and immediately pulled away.

"You. know. I. do. _not._ like. _hugs,_ " he repeated in the same manner than that morning.

"I'm still sure you secretly like them, but whatever makes you happy," she teased. "I don't want to ruin your reputation of Mr. I. don't. like. hugs."

Regulus looked amused. _They make a cute pair_ , he thought.

"You know, you two look kinda cute."

Severus's cheeks were definitely red by now and Maria had started to match his level.

"Shut up, Black!" Snape barked.

"Just saying…"

There was an awkward pause which was broken by the slytherin Black brother, "Maria, we suspect Mulciber and his friends were the attackers. Only those guys, Severus and I know the curse and Severus admitted that you had some misunderstandings earlier that same day… They are dangerous, stay away from them."

Maria instantly replied, "Thanks, Regulus, but I don't remember anything from last night… The headmaster is already aware of it. There's nothing he can do."

Severus looked confused and looked like he was about to say something, but Maria made a face that told him to shut up. Surprisingly, he did just that. Regulus looked taken aback by her answer though, "Haven't you listened to me?! They must be the ones! No one else knows the curse! They nearly killed you! They should be expelled!"

"If I don't recall the faces Dumbledore cannot do anything to them," repeated Maria, leaving no room for discussion.

Regulus sighed in a defeated tone and mumbled, "Whatever. Just don't scare us like that. I'll get going now, I have a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay due for tomorrow and I haven't even started yet. Pleasure to meet you, Maria. Bye guys!"

When the two teenagers were alone, Severus hissed, "What was that about?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Maria.

"Don't play dumb with me. Why did you say you don't recall them? It was them. It's crystal clear. And Regulus was right. They should be expelled."

"I had no choice…"

"What do you mean?"

Maria sighed and explained, "Believe me, I'm the first one who wants to see them out of the school; I'm the one who was attacked after all… When Dumbledore asked me about it, I had to think fast. If I had told him about Mulciber and his friends, they would have gotten expelled. And if that happened, their parents would have known what had occurred. If the children are prejudiced, I don't want to imagine what their parents are like. Think about it. They could have researched on me. And obviously, they wouldn't have found anything. I would be suspicious. Dumbledore would have known there's something that doesn't fit with me…"

Severus knew she was right, but he couldn't help but let his opinion known, his expression severe, "I still don't like it…"

"I did what was necessary. That's all," she assured, taking his hand.

Severus looked at their intertwined fingers for a second. Her warm touch tingled his skin, but he didn't care about that. For once in his life since Lily, he had found someone who wasn't afraid to hold his hand and even hug him. The thought comforted him and frightened him at the same time. The only thing he was sure of was that he never wanted to see her in the Infirmary again, and even less due to a curse he had invented in the first place.

"I just… I was terrified! I thought you were going to die!"

"I'm still here, thanks to you," she squeezed his hand trying to reassure him.

Severus met her eyes and stared at her brown eyes, spotting all the green flecks that made them unique. Maria was looking straight at him too, mesmerized by his black endless pits.

"Maria?" a masculine voice which didn't belong to Severus said.

It was Sirius. He was with Lily, James, Peter and Remus. She retrieved her hand quickly, but Lily had already noticed that detail.

"I'll do some research today, ok?" Severus muttered, hoping he wasn't blushing.

"I'm sorry I can't help…" she regretted.

"Think nothing of it."

Severus left the Infirmary before the marauders could pick on him. He saw Lily was holding some papers, Ancient Runes notes, he guessed. He sent her a quick appreciative glance and departed.

"I brought you the Ancient Runes notes," Lily commented.

Maria smiled and thanked her.

"How did you know?"

"Severus asked me."

Maria's eyes widened. He had addressed Lily, after so much time without talking to each other, just for the Ancient Runes notes? Why would he do something like that? She couldn't find a logical explanation. Her thoughts were interrupted by Peter's voice, "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? I feel exhausted and a little weak, but I will survive. Tomorrow I'll attend classes. Everything will go back to normal."

"That's good," Sirius observed.

"What exactly happened to you?" inquired James.

"I was cursed. I don't know who did this. I'm just happy I'm alright."

"Take care, okay, Maria?" Remus demanded.

She smiled gratefully.

"I'll try to… Thanks for visiting me, guys."

"Anytime," Sirius exclaimed making Maria smile even more. Perhaps it was possible to be friends with gryffindors despite being a slytherin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A new day arrived, and Maria was free to go to class again. Madam Pomfrey had warned her that she should be careful. She shouldn't do brusque movements or stress too much. Ruiz tried to follow her advice, but when she got to the Great Hall in order to have breakfast, she noticed someone was looking at her scrutinitously. They were Rosier, Avery and Mulciber, who kept leering at her. So much for not feeling stressed! Maria gulped uncomfortably and sat down as far from there as possible. She started to eat in silence when she was joined by Severus. Maria sighed relieved and cried out, "Thank God, Severus! They were making me feel nervous!"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who?"

Maria subtly directed her gaze towards the slytherin trio. When the black-haired teenager saw them, he looked alarmed and curtly asked her, "Have they done something else?"

The girl shook her head and replied, "No, but I don't like the way they are staring at me one bit."

Severus sighed and said in a a grave tone, "Try to be with someone else all the time… Don't walk alone down the corridors. If they catch you alone, I don't want to imagine what they could do to you…"

Maria was taken aback by the intensity of his black eyes while he muttered those words. He almost looked protective of her. It made her feel warm inside, even though she believed she didn't need protection.

"I-I'll t-try… But I can't promise anything," she stammered.

Lowering her voice so that only Severus could hear her, Maria inquired, "Did you find something else related to horcruxes?"

Shaking his head in a downhearted way he told her, "There's nothing… When we researched together we only found a book which mentioned them but didn't actually explain anything, remember? Perhaps we should look in the forbidden section."

"Are you mad?! It's forbidden for a reason, Severus!" she hissed with wide eyes at his suggestion.

"I'd love to hear any other ideas, Ruiz," he mocked.

Maria fell silent for a minute, reflecting on it. Nothing useful came to her mind though, so she sighed and conceded, "I guess you're right… If we don't find anything, we'll have to trust my memory."

Severus looked surprised.

"There's more about them you haven't told me?"

Maria shrugged.

"A few things. I didn't want to overwhelm you."

Now he looked slightly angry. Maria tried to reason with him before he snapped, "I don't know lots of things either; I really thought research was essential. It's not like they tell you how to become immortal with all the details in History class, you know? It's not ethical. And anyway, I doubt my professor knew everything about Horcruxes…"

Severus looked sceptical at first and eventually nodded.

"You'll have to tell me everything you remember about them later…"

Maria accepted.

* * *

The rest of the day, Maria followed Severus's advice. If he wasn't in the same class, there was always Lily or a marauder that could keep her company, like in History of Magic. Lily and Remus had told her they were suspicious of Mulciber about the attack. They looked really worried, but Maria clung to her lie and assured them she could take care of herself. They weren't convinced, but let it slide for the time being. When the last class reached its end (Charms), Maria approached Severus and regretfully mumbled, "I have a History of Magic essay due for tomorrow… It may take some time…"

Severus sighed and admitted, "I have some Astronomy homework too… We could go to the Common Room and focus on school." Lowering considerably his voice he murmured, "Anyway, it is better to go to the forbidden section at night."

Her brown eyes widened and she huffed incredulously, "You were planning on going there tonight?"

Severus raised an eyebrow and teased, "What? Is the girl from the future scared?"

She hit him in the shoulder, not so playfully.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he shrieked.

"Lower your voice, will you? You know I'm still not sure about this and yes, tease me all you want: I am scared. What if we get caught? It's too risky."

Severus rolled his eyes and groaned, "I've been there a thousand times and I still haven't been caught."

Maria was impressed, but she wasn't going to let it show in her features. Instead, she warned him, "There's always a first time for everything, Severus."

"I know, but we are two clever and sneaky slytherins. We can do this. Come on! Haven't you ever snuck out at night? Haven't you broken the rules?"

"For your information, I try my best to follow the rules. It is the best way to avoid conflicts and I hardly ever break them if it isn't strictly necessary. And no, I have never snuck at night. Unlike you, I am perfectly capable of behaving."

Snape smirked mischievously at her and retorted, "As you said, there is always a first time, Ruiz."

* * *

The night finally arrived at Hogwarts. Severus and Maria were making their way towards the library with silent steps. When they got to the closed door, Snape muttered _alohomora_ and it opened without any problems.

" _Mierda_!" Maria cursed. [mierda = shit]

"What did you just say?" he whispered, frowning in confusion.

Maria was glad it was dark for it hid well the blush that started to appear on her pretty face.

"Er… nothing. Just a Spanish swearword… I was actually hopeful and thought that we wouldn't be able to get in and would have to cancel our plan. I didn't think it would be so easy to get in here… Are they incompetent or what? A simple _alohomora_ does the trick? Unbelievable…"

The comment nearly made Snape chuckle, but he contained his emotions to the point that he simply smirked, but didn't laugh.

"Which student do you know who wants to spend all night in the library?"

"You," she replied without thinking about it not even for a second and poking his chest.

He raised an eyebrow at the physical contact but disregarded it quickly and mumbled, "Exactly, and I've never been caught. Hence, no need to put extra protection spells."

" _Touché_. Go on, I'll follow you towards that bloody section…"

As quietly as they could walk, they got into the forbidden section.

" _Lumos,_ " Severus murmured.

Maria followed his lead and they started to look for information in many books. Sadly, two hours later they still hadn't made any progress. Maria groaned exasperatedly, "It's late… Your plan clearly hasn't worked and it's obvious the library isn't of any use to us. Can we please go to sleep?"

Severus hated to accept defeat, so he didn't say anything, even though he knew Maria was right. He simply started to make his way out of the library, Maria happily following him close behind him. A few seconds later though, they heard the sound of keys making their way towards them. Maria would have sworn she heard Severus mutter under his breath the name of _Filch_. Before she could register what was happening, Snape grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside a little broomstick cupboard. He closed the door and covered her mouth with one hand, while he indicated with the other that she should stay silent. When she nodded quickly, Severus pulled his hand away. They could hear the steps of Argus Filch getting closer and closer. Severus and Maria held their breaths and didn't dare to move one millimetre or inch. The cupboard was really little, and there wasn't much space for the two of them plus all the Quidditch broomsticks, resulting in their tensed bodies slightly pressing against each other. Due to height differences, Severus's hooked nose was touching her forehead, and his lips were nearly pressing against her snub nose. Snape could feel her breasts touching him just below his chest and it made him feel a nervous sensation in his stomach. When they heard Filch getting far, Maria let out a relieved breath but kept immobile, as Severus. They stayed in that position for a full minute. Once they were sure Filch wasn't near, they got out of the cupboard. Maria took deep breaths to calm down her nerves. She wouldn't admit it, but what had just happened there, had made her feel something she had never experienced before, and it frightened her.

"Are you alright?" Snape asked when he saw her worried expression.

"What do you think? We nearly get caught thanks to your splendid plan!" she hissed angrily.

He raised an eyebrow at her indignant pose and muttered, " _Nearly_. We didn't, that's what counts. Now, come on, no more chit-chat."

Coincidentally, they didn't stumble across any other teacher or staff member. They entered the Slytherin Common Room with no more incidents. They were lucky no one was awake. They simply parted ways towards their respective rooms after wishing good night. Neither Maria nor Severus got much sleep though. They couldn't stop thinking about horcruxes and the cupboard interlude.

* * *

When Maria went to have breakfast, she met black eyes for a second, but Severus rapidly looked away embarrassedly. The teenage girl sat next to him anyway.

"Good morning!" she greeted with a soft smile.

Severus kept looking at anywhere but at her. At last, he replied inhis baritone voice, "Good morning."

"Are you going to look me in the eye today?"

He finally glanced at her. He had bags under his eyes. Maria let out a sigh and said, "I guess neither of us got much sleep, eh? No more sneaking past curfew, please."

There was an awkward pause which was surprisingly broken by Snape.

"About the broomstick cupboard… I-" he trailed off.

Maria looked at him sympathetically and murmured in a soft voice, "Don't give it importance, Severus."

 _So Maria didn't feel anything_ , Severus thought. _Figures, just like Lily_. He didn't comprehend why he was so affected by her attitude.

The rest of the day seemed calm. Nothing out of ordinary, or so Maria thought. She was returning to the library from the lavatory to write a Transfiguration essay and join Snape when Mulciber, Rosier and Avery made a barrier to prevent her from passing.

"You managed to recover pretty fast, Ruiz," Avery mentioned with a malevolent look.

She glimpsed around and saw there were no teachers or students… No one else was there. Maria knew that if they decided to do something bad to her and succeeded, she would be alone and helpless, so she took her wand and stood her ground, but didn't reply.

"Yes… How did you manage to survive, Ruiz?" asked Rosier.

Maria tried to think of a way to get away from them while they kept talking. Hexing them would be her last resort, if she thought she was in danger. She didn't want to end up in detention for nothing. And she couldn't scream for help when they hadn't really threatened her. It would be suspicious and her lie about the _sectumsempra_ incident might be blown.

"We've seen Snape is fond of you… You are always together, and it hasn't even been a week since you came… Did you two follow my advice and become a couple yet? A filthy halfblood couple…" Mulciber teased with malice in his voice.

Maria was starting to get furious now. Making an effort to ignore the nasty comments, she tried to walk past the three teenagers, but Avery managed to catch her wrist with force. That was it. She was about to hex him when she recognized a familiar and silky voice shouting, "Leave her alone or I swear: you will regret it… I'm the one who taught you about _sectumsempra_ , after all. You don't want to see what else I am capable of."

Severus's black eyes had turned even darker than usual. His expression was severe and even scary. It actually made Avery (who had let her hand go) and Rosier step back. He was pointing his wand directly at Mulciber, who was looking at him with hate in his eyes. Maria hurried towards her friend and stood by his side. She touched the arm that was holding the wand and pushed it down. With her other hand, she gently pulled his face towards her, making sure he was staring at her brown eyes. As delicately as she could she begged, "Come on, Severus. Let's go."

When he heard her voice and looked at her eyes, he shook his head as if snapping out of it and his expression softened considerably, although he kept his guard up.

"It's true then. You two are an item now. Is she the mudblood's substitute, Snape?" Mulciber kept taunting, "You know… It's a pity… Last year you were different, you could have been one of us… You still can, if you wish."

Severus clenched his fists with so much force his knuckles were turning white. Maria noticed this and instantly grabbed his hand and whispered, "They aren't worth it. Please let's go back to the library…"

"This isn't finished, Ruiz. I'd watch your back if I were you… You won't always have a saviour…" Mulciber threatened, once again. With that said, he and his gang left towards the opposite direction of the library, until Severus and Maria couldn't see them anymore in the corridor.

Maria let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Severus noticed they were tearful.

"Maria, are you okay? Did they hurt you before I arrived?" Snape asked immediately with panic in his voice when he noticed a tear was starting to fall down her cheek.

When Maria heard the question though, she just couldn't help it: all the tears which had been threatening to stream down her face finally ran freely. She covered her mouth, trying to silence the crying sounds she was making and turned around, so that Snape could only see her back, but not her face.

Severus wasn't good with emotions. That was why he always hid his own. He hated to see emotional people because he simply didn't know how to react. When he saw someone crying, he usually left them alone. He had only comforted Lily twice and he had felt incredibly uncomfortable while doing so. Yet, he couldn't leave Maria alone in this state.

"Maria? Maria, look at me…"

The girl shook her head and didn't turn around, so Snape did the only thing that came to his mind. He softly put his hand over her shoulder and repeated, "Please turn around."

Maria finally did as told. Even though she had only been crying for a minute and avoided looking at him at all costs, Severus could tell her eyes and nose were already red and puffy.

"Er- Look, I'm not good at this kind of things, never been and never will. But please, stop crying. I don't like seeing you like this…" he confessed.

Maria held back a sob and, unexpectedly, threw her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She was still shaking from all the sobbing and she was holding him as if her life depended on him. Severus turned red and stood immobile.

Weeping, she managed to say, "Please, just hold me back… Please."

Severus's eyes widened in shock. Was she asking him to cuddle her? Hesitating, he put his arms on her back and pressed her against him. It felt foreign, but he liked the warm feeling it produced in his stomach.

They stood in that position until Maria's breathing started to be regular. She was still crying, but they were silent tears. Although her hold was lighter, she was still hugging him.

"I'm afraid of them…" she admitted, her voice only above a whisper

Severus's eyes softened and he whispered in a sweet voice he didn't know he possessed, "I won't let them hurt you again. I promise, Maria."

She tightened her grip and thanked him. Then, she pulled away and rambled, "I'm sorry for… _this_. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable… It's just… I miss my home. I miss my family, my friends… Dammit! I even miss my mobile and tumblr and tv and music and food and wi-fi and just… I miss my life! And I haven't been here for a week, but I've already been attacked! Its not easy for me! I just… I feel utterly alone sometimes…"

Snape didn't understand a few words she had said, but he got her message. In front of him stood a girl who lived her life until fate brought her to another time. She found herself with nothing. Instead of breaking down, she took it well and decided to do something good out of her situation; she decided to avoid a war. But that didn't mean she didn't miss her life, if all the sobbing hadn't been proof of that. He could actually relate to her: he knew well enough what loneliness meant.

"I don't like to admit it because I've always saved myself, but I don't know what I'd do without you here… You keep saving me and keeping me company. Thank you, Severus."

Snape didn't know how to react at her words. These few minutes had been full of emotions, so his awkward-self appeared once again. Maria noticed it for she chuckled softly and teased, "Don't worry, this sentimentalism stops here. I don't want to make you more uncomfortable or initiate an awkward silence. So what do you say? Shall we head to the library and finish the Transfiguration essay?"

The young man nodded gratefully and did as she suggested. Maria didn't know how glad he was to hear her chuckle once again, to see her face free of tears.

* * *

Maria was in the Slytherin Common Room chatting with Severus. She was about to go to sleep when a slytherin girl approached her.

"You're Ruiz, right? The new student," she assumed.

She was blonde and had piercing blue eyes. When Maria nodded, she smiled and continued, "I'm Lucinda Talkalot, Slytherin Quidditch Captain."

"Nice to meet you," Maria replied politely.

"Where do you sleep? I haven't seen you in our dorm…"

"Oh! I got here late the first day and all the rooms were full, so I entered the only empty one! I slept there for 2 days though."

"You were in the Hospital Wing the other days, right? Avery is a bigmouth… Come on, my friend Bryony and I can make you some space."

Smiling disbiliviengly, Maria asked. "You would?"

"Of course!" Lowering her voice, Lucinda confessed, "I'm halfblood too…"

Snape hadn't talked to Lucinda a lot because he usually chatted with nobody and she wasn't an exception, but he guessed she wasn't that bad. Maria waved him goodbye and went to install herself with her new roommates.

At that moment, Avery, Rosier and Mulciber entered the room and approached Severus.

"We have a proposition for you," Rosier whispered so that only his friends and Snape were able to hear him.

"Not interested…" Severus replied without even looking him back.

Avery laughed and sneered, "Of course you are… If you accept, we will leave your little friend with glasses alone…"

This caught his attention, but he still didn't utter a word. Mulciber smirked evilly and said, "I knew you'd want to listen… Here's the deal: we'll leave your halfblood friend alone if you join someone… You know who I mean. He's interested in your skills, Severus. He promises power, glory, respect… a better world."

Severus was starting to sweat, but kept and emotionless face.

"You don't have to answer today, but keep an eye on that Spanish girl. She may…get hurt if you don't choose our way. It would be a pity, really. She is quite pretty, for being a halfblood, that is."

With that said, the three slytherins left. Severus kept tossing and turning all night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Severus panicked when he didn't see Maria in the Slytherin Common Room the next morning. The conversation he had with Mulciber, Avery and Rosier replayed on his mind non-stop. Without wasting any time, he ran towards the Great Hall, hoping she was there. His mind started to play tricks with him. He imagined all the doomed situations he could find Maria in. Luckily, when he got there, Snape spotted the Spanish girl with glasses chatting animatedly with Lucinda Talkalot and Bryony Shafiq. The slytherin boy let out a relieved sigh he didn't know he had been holding all this time. He didn't want to intrude the girly conversation, so he sat alone. A minute later though, Regulus Black joined him.

Regulus and Severus weren't in the same year, and the few times they had talked to each other, Mulciber was also there (except for the sectumsempra incident, of course). So when Regulus sat down next to him, Snape was surprised. It was then he noticed the young Black had bags under his eyes and looked paler than usual. Usually, Regulus was flirting with the girls and had a smile on his face, but today, his expression didn't show happiness at all. In fact, Snape noticed he kept fidgeting and he seemed to stare at nothing, thinking to himself. Something was off… Snape couldn't help but wonder, "Regulus, are you alright?"

"Uh-What?" he asked, snapping out of his daze.

"You seem distracted…" Severus said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh! Yes, I haven't gotten much sleep tonight, that's all…" he guaranteed.

Regulus tried to smile like he used to, but he couldn't fool Severus. Something was definitely wrong with him. He didn't insist more anyway.

"I see Maria is fine now…" Regulus observed.

"She is…"

"Don't leave her alone, Severus. Mulciber, Rosier and Avery have planned something…" he whispered so that only Snape could hear him. With wide eyes, Severus demanded, "What are they going to do to her?"

"Er—I—" he stammered.

"Out with it already, Regulus. I don't have all day," he snarled.

Avoiding his eyes, Regulus murmured, "Look, I don't know what they want to do to her. I just overheard them saying something about next week and getting her hurt… I don't know why they keep targeting her, Severus. She seems to be a good girl and there are other halfbloods in slytherin. True, they never liked them and considered them inferior, but they had never behaved like that either… Just be careful."

Regulus got up and left before Snape could question him any further. Classes were about to start anyway, and Maria wasn't in the Hall anymore.

* * *

Maria was chatting with Lily. The marauders were following close behind her. They were about to enter Potions class when Mulciber, Rosier and Avery appeared out of the blue. They were grinning malevolently at the slytherin girl.

"Not only Ruiz is a filthy halfblood, she also befriends gryffindors and mudbloods. What a pity! She seemed intelligent, don't you think, Avery?" Rosier mocked her.

Before Mulciber and Avery could comment any further though, Lily and the marauders had their wands out. Maria was too shocked to say anything. Sirius was the first to intervene, "If you mess with her you mess with us!"

Every time she had been called names, she had had to defend herself and stand her ground. No one had ever looked after her like that. It made Maria feel warm inside. Feeling more confident, she took out her wand too.

"Look! Now the Spanish girl thinks she can beat us! They are not Severus… They cannot save you…" Mulciber said with malice.

Before Maria could open her mouth and reply though, James was snarling, "I think the ones who need the saving are you and your puppies, not Maria. We are 6 against 3, which means we are 2 of us against 1. You can't win…"

His girlfriend continued, "Besides, James and I are Head Boy and Head Girl. If you dare to do something to her, Dumbledore will know."

This shut up the three slytherins, who entered the class without further comment. Maria let out a sigh of relief and turned to her friends.

"Guys, I'm so glad I have friends like you…" she said in all honesty and smiling brightly. Neither of them noticed Severus had witnessed it all.

Maria sat beside Sirius. When she saw her slytherin friend entering, she motioned for him to sit by her side. Snape hesitated but approached her. When Sirius saw his intentions, he shouted, "Snivellus! Get out of here!"

Maria looked shocked at Sirius and hissed indignantly, "What did you just call him?! He's my friend, just like you. Can't you two act civilly towards each other? He hasn't even said anything!"

"He's a Death Eater, Maria! Just like Mulciber. You are our friend, you don't need him," he justified.

Before Maria could reply though, Severus said, "You don't have to defend me, Maria. I appreciate the gesture, but I'll just go. I don't want to start a fight."

And just like that, he sat on another table, all by himself. Maria looked sadly at him for a few seconds and then turned her attention to Sirius, with fury in her eyes.

"I don't like bullies, Sirius. He hasn't done anything to you, but you still called him names and didn't let him sit with us. Talk to me when you grow out of your childish attitude."

She stood up and was about to leave when Sirius grabbed her wrist and mumbled, "He has done his share too, Maria. Don't let him fool you. He knows more about the Dark Arts than anyone at Hogwarts… He's dangerous…"

"He saved my life, so excuse me for not really believing he is dangerous for me."

With that said, she approached Severus and sat next to him.

"Maria? Why are you here? You don't have to do this. I understand. You want to be friends with them. I don't like it, but I respect your choices. I already told you that. Besides, I guess it's not that bad. I've seen how they defended you against Mulciber and company," he mumbled avoiding her brown eyes.

"Hey! Severus, I also want to be your friend. In fact, you are my best friend here," she admitted.

Meeting her eyes, he wondered, "Do you really mean that?"

Rolling her eyes playfully she replied, "Why wouldn't I? Sure, I still don't like sneaking out past curfew and you can still be bad-tempered, but I enjoy your company. We are partners in crime. We have things in common too: we are dedicated, smart and believe school is important and quidditch not so much."

He chuckled and to her surprise, he took her hand and thanked her. He hesitated a little, but finally confessed, "You know, I never really told you why I went to the Room of Requirement when we met… I wanted to forget about Lily. And the Room gave me what I needed: a friend."

Maria smiled mischievously and teased, "Is my grumpy friend showing his sweet side?"

"Maria!" yelled Severus embarrassedly.

She just giggled and squeezed his hand. "You know, you look so adorable I would hug you right now. But knowing you, you wouldn't really appreciate it. So don't worry, I won't. Just thought I'd let you know…"

Severus blushed and muttered. "I do not like hugs. And I'm not adorable. Not at all."

"Keep telling yourself that, Severus," she retorted with a smirk.

* * *

Sirius's grey eyes widened in shock when Maria left them. Remus, who was sitting next to him, whispered, "She is right, Sirius. At least since Severus is Maria's friend, he hasn't done anything to us. And Mulciber has just said he wouldn't always have Severus to save her, so she's telling the truth…"

"You are defending him, now?" Sirius shrieked incredulously at his friend.

"I'm not defending him. I'm just stating the obvious… You should apologize to Maria," Remus tried to reason with his friend.

"I'm not going to apologize to her when I've only been trying to protect her…" insisted Sirius.

A feminine voice asked them, "Guys, what's happened? Hadn't Maria sat down next to you two?"

"Sirius screwed up, Lily… She's with Severus now," Remus explained.

"I haven't screwed anything up!" Sirius defended himself. Remus had only time to roll his eyes before Slughorn entered.

* * *

Classes ended and Severus and Maria were outside, doing their homework by the Black Lake.

"I like being here… The outdoors relax me…" Maria commented, while writing a Charms essay.

Severus silently agreed. He was focused on his arithmancy homework. All of sudden, a voice interrupted them. It was Sirius Black, accompanied by Remus.

"Maria… May I talk to you, alone?"

Sirius looked really nervous and his feet kept fidgeting. Maria sighed and they distanced themselves from the werewolf and the black-haired boy. She folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"So you've already grown out of this immature behavior?"

"Look, I've given it some thought and you are right. You must believe I'm a hypocrite. I dislike bullies like Mulciber, but then I act like one. I'm sorry. Please, tell me you still want to talk to me…"

Sirius's eyes were pleading and Maria could tell he was been sincere.

She let out a sigh and replied, "Of course I want to talk to you. Everybody makes mistakes…"

At her words, Sirius face lit up and he hugged her tightly against him. The gesture took Maria by surprise, yet she embraced him back. Still holding her, he ribbed, "For a moment I thought I lost my short slytherin Spanish girl…"

"It's not that easy to get rid of me…" she teased back after chuckling lowly.

When they broke apart, Maria took his hand and told him, with a serious expression, "I still believe you owe Severus an apology… Even the dumbest person can tell you two dislike each other, but I'm not asking you to befriend him. All I ask is that you respect my choice to be friends with him. Do you think you can do it?"

"L-Like right n-now?" he babbled.

"Whenever you are ready…" she said, squeezing his hand. "Thanks for the apology, Sirius. I appreciate it…"

He chuckled and admitted, looking at her with gleaming eyes, "Thanks for forgiving me! I come from a Slytherin family, and once they are crossed, one doesn't stand a chance. Slytherins tend to be rancorous people, but you proved me wrong."

Maria shrugged and said, "I think holding a grudge is a waste of time."

Sirius kept on smiling and inquired, "What were you doing now?"

"Oh, the charms essay. Why?" she answered.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked hopefully.

"Severus isn't going away just because you decided to join me, Sirius," she warned.

He raised his hands and mumbled, "I know… I'm willing to try and apologize right now…"

"I told you that you didn't have to…"

"But I want to…" he assured.

Maria smiled and encouraged, "If that's the case, go ahead…"

While Sirius and Maria were chatting, Remus and Severus stayed in an awkward silence. Severus tried to ignore the Gryffindor and focused on his homework again. To his dismay though, the werewolf spoke up, "Maria is a good girl…"

Arching an eyebrow, Severus inquired, "What do you want, Lupin?"

"N-nothing. Just t-thought I could start a c-conversation," he stammered.

"Why?" he asked, looking at him sceptically.

They never talked, anyway. Remus just stayed behind while James and Sirius hexed him. For Severus, that was just as bad.

"You saved her. Perhaps you aren't that bad…"

Taking his wand out and pointing it at the lion, he hissed, "What do you know?"

"Just that you saved her. Mulciber said so. I suppose he was referring to the curse… But I really don't know," he replied honestly without showing any fear.

When Severus lowered his wand, Remus interpreted it as a good sign and kept talking, "I'm glad you are friends with her. She's done you good."

Severus's eyes widened in shock and he avoided his green eyes. In that moment, Snape glimpsed askance at Sirius hugging Maria. And she was hugging him back. It made him feel a nasty feeling in his stomach. It hurt. He couldn't keep watching. He turned around. At this reaction, Remus's eyes narrowed.

"A-are you jealous of Sirius right now?" Remus asked astonished.

"Shut up, Lupin! You don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped.

"Merlin's beard! You are! You are jealous!"

Snape didn't reply.

"Please, Severus! Sirius is jealous of you! You get to spend most of the time with her, not the other way around."

This caught Severus's attention, so he asked, "Why would he be jealous?"

"Why would you? I think you know the answer…" he countered back.

Before he could give it some thought, Sirius and Maria had returned. Maria smiled at the slytherin reassuringly and Sirius said quickly, "I'm sorry about what happened this morning."

He was stunned for a moment. He would have never thought that Sirius was capable of apologizing. Severus deemed he didn't even know that word was included in the dictionary. He cleared his throat and recovered from it by saying coldly, "Don't expect me to forgive you, Sirius. I still remember the day that I nearly died because of you. What happened this morning meant nothing to me…"

Severus felt ashamed that Maria knew about that, so he scurried away. Maria was too shocked to follow him. Remus had a guilty look on his face and Sirius started to look angry. When Maria recuperated her voice, she asked with horror in her eyes, "Is it true?"

Sirius didn't reply, but Remus nodded. Maria's eyes got tearful and a fire seemed to awake in her chest.

"What the hell, Sirius?! You nearly killed him?! What kind of person does that?" she cried out, pressing her lips thin. Then she snorted, "You were right. You are a hypocrite. You are just like Mulciber…"

She was about to leave when Sirius grabbed her hand, "You don't understand!"

She let out a bittersweet laugh.

"What is there to understand, Sirius? I nearly died too! Have you ever experienced that? It's awful! How could you do it? Disliking a person doesn't justify attempting to murder them!" By the end of her rambling tears were falling down her eyes. "I thought you were different…"

"Maria…"

WHACK!

"Let go of me!" she commanded in a dangerously low voice she seldom used.

Sirius gulped and released his grip. Maria didn't look at him. She took her charms essay and ran away, desperately looking for Severus. The tears were clouding her vision, and she was so lost in her emotions that she didn't realize she had stumbled upon somebody until she heard a cry.

"S-sorry…" she apologized quickly, ready to keep going.

Nonetheless, the person who she had run into grasped her wrist and wondered worriedly, "Maria? What's wrong?"

When he called her name, Maria wiped some tears and saw it was Peter Pettigrew. She shook her head and didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Have you seen Severus?"

"Yes. I saw him in the seventh floor."

"Thanks, Peter."

She didn't waste more time. She rose and ran towards the seventh floor. There was only one reason why he could have gone there: the Come and Go Room.

When she got there, she thought about Severus and entered the room. It looked like an old bedroom. He was there, on the floor. His knees were flexed and his arms were hugging his legs. His face was hidden behind the black curtains of his hair.

"Severus?" Maria asked in a trembling voice.

When he recognized the voice, he shot his head up and stared at her. She was a right mess. Some hairs had escaped her ponytail. Her cheeks were flushed and he could see she was slightly sweating. Her eyes and nose were puffy and red and tears were still falling down her pretty face. On instinct, he got up and walked towards her.

"Why didn't you tell me they almost got to kill you, Severus? How could you stand to watch me befriending them? I don't understand," she whispered in a low voice, so low Severus had to strive to listen to her.

Gulping, he confessed, "You are the only one who treats me well in this school… I already lost a friend to them… I was not going to risk losing another one."

Maria threw her arms around him and held him tightly against her, "Severus Snape, you are a fool!"

This time, Severus didn't hesitate. He enfolded her in his arms and smelled her scent: levander. They stood in silence in the same position until her tears dried. Maria was the one who had to break their embrace. She smiled and teased, "I thought you didn't like hugs."

"When they come from you they aren't that bad," he admitted, making her chuckle.

In that moment, she looked so beautiful Severus had the urge to cup her face and kiss her lips. He nearly did, but restrained himself. _Where had that come from? Maria's my friend_ … he thought, afraid of his feelings.

Suddenly, Maria's expression sobered as she took his hand.

"Severus… I know it will probably be difficult for you to tell, but could you explain me what really happened? Please. I would have never thought they were capable of something like that…"

Severus sighed and explained, "To make the story short, Sirius pranked me and as a result a werewolf nearly managed to kill me. I don't like to admit it, but if it hadn't been for Potter, we wouldn't be having his conversation…"

Maria frowned and muttered, "But you still don't like Potter… Why is that?"

"Look, Potter and his friends have always targeted me. I was the poor slytherin boy who had Lily. And Potter wanted Lily."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I defended myself and had my share too. I'm no saint…"

"Still… Nobody should go through that. I was only bullied for a year and it was awful. I can't begin to imagine the hell they put you through…"

She had been bullied?

"What did they do to you, if it's not much to ask?" he inquired.

"Don't worry. It was a long time ago. I was 11. They just didn't want to hang out with me and called me names… I'm a mudblood, remember?" she answered in a bittersweet tone.

"Don't call yourself that, Maria. Ever," he said angrily while he cupped her face.

The touch made Maria gasp. Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, which was now caressing her cheek. Severus had the urge to kiss her once again. It would be so easy, just to bend his head and press his lips against hers… Before he could do so though, Maria seemed to snap out of her daze and took his hand.

"Thanks for trusting me enough to confess this, Severus."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"You promised me you'd tell me everything you knew about horcruxes…" Severus murmured, trying to change the topic.

As they still were in the Room of Requirement, they could talk freely about it. Maria nodded.

"What I know is that You-know-who split his soul into different objects in order to achieve immortality. The way to end with them is with basilisk's venom. What else?"

"They have to be destroyed beyond repair. I'm not sure about it, but I believe that horcruxes can influence the conduct of the person who is near them."

"Change it in which way?"

She sighed, "I told you! I'm not sure about it… I don't remember, but it can't be good. Another important thing is that they have side effects on the horcrux-maker. The more horcruxes one creates, the less human one becomes: physically and emotionally."

Maria didn't add anything else as she wanted Severus to take it all in. After a minute, he observed, "You said you didn't know where they were, but you know where they were found in the future… Who's to say they aren't in the same place now? Shouldn't we try?"

She gave it some thought and finally replied, "I guess you are right. We have nothing to lose. Let's see… Marvolo Gaunt's Ring. I think that one was found in Gaunt's shack. I have no idea where it is though. Do you?"

When he shook his head she continued with the other horcruxes, "We'll find out. Don't worry. We also have Hufflepuff's Cup. If I recall it correctly, this one was in Gringotts."

"The bank?"

"Yes. It was in a Death Eater's vault. I have no idea in whose vault it was, though."

Snape looked reflective while Maria kept talking, "Tom Riddle's Diary. That one was in possession of another pureblood family. The Melfays? Mulfou?"

"I guess you mean the Malfoys," he assumed, rolling his eyes at Maria's poor attempt to recall the name.

"That's it! The Malfoys! I never got their name right…"

The comment nearly made him chuckle, but his expression sobered as the name sank in. "Wait! The Malfoys! I know Lucius Malfoy…"

"You do? Maybe we should start with that one… Anyway, we also have Slytherin's Locket… That was in a cave. Do you remember I told you I knew Regulus?" When he nodded she continued, "Regulus will-" she trailed off. She wasn't sure she should be telling him.

"What will he do?"

Sighing, "Please, don't freak out. He will become a Death Eater and he'll stop being a loyal one when he finds out about horcruxes; about Slytherin's Locket, to be precise."

"So he's the one who destroyed it?"

Shaking her head sadly she replied, "No… He didn't know how to, so he hid it instead. He died soon after it." She hesitated and with tearful eyes whispered, "He'll die by the age of 18, Severus."

Severus suddenly remembered the bad appearance in which Regulus was in just that morning. He had seemed edgy and troubled, plus, he looked as if he hadn't slept. Could it be he had just joined the Death Eaters? Or maybe he had already found out about the Locket… Whatever it was, Snape wasn't going to tell Maria anything until he was sure.

"We won't let him die, Maria," he assured her.

Maria nodded and blinked away the tears that had emerged from the corner of her eyes.

"Okay, the only one left is Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. This one was in the Room of Hidden Things… Do you know where that is?"

"No…"

She frowned, as if trying to remember more and suddenly exclaimed, "Wait a moment! I think this one wasn't destroyed by basilisk's venom…"

"So there are more ways to destroy a horcrux?" he asked, hopeful.

"Apparently. I think this one was related to fire…"

"Fire? It was burned?"

She shrugged, "I guess."

Snape tried to control his nerves at his friend's inaptitude to remember such relevant details. Maria noticed it and guiltily, she mumbled, "I'm sorry I cannot be of more use… I'm good at History and I know what happened, but some details I just can't remember…"

Sighing, Severus admitted, "Look, I think you know enough to get us to work. Maybe it'll come to you. We have more research to do about the places you mentioned and also about people like Malfoy, so don't worry. We'll find out. We aren't stupid."

These words seemed to encourage Maria for she smiled brightly at him, "You're right. But not today, please! I'm exhausted and I still have to finish the Charms essay!" she complained with a pout. Her expression made him chuckle and Maria raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment anything. Arching an eyebrow of his own, Snape inquired, "What?"

"Nothing," she said with a grin. "It's just that you smile and laugh more. You aren't as grumpy either. I think it suits you."

It was true. Since Maria entered his life, he had experienced a change in his behaviour, even with the war. She had a positive effect on him.

"Come on, let's go to the Common Room!" she shouted happily.

They got out of the Room of Requirement and headed there. What they didn't notice was that someone had seen them getting out.

When they got to their Common Room, they sat on a desk, next to Lucinda and Bryony. They looked like they were having trouble doing their homework. Maria frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lucinda sighed and told her, "We don't even know where to start with the Charms essay… The Professor doesn't like to read essays which are an exact copy of the book. He wants us to understand the theory and write it in our own words, but we don't even understand the book…"

Looking at them sadly, Maria offered, "I think I understood it well. I can explain you what I know and you can take it from there…"

With wide eyes, Bryony exclaimed, "You would?"

Maria shrugged, "Sure. We are roommates, aren't we?"

Without waiting for a response, Maria started to explain the theory with a spark in her brown eyes. While she did so, Severus couldn't help but notice she was actually a better teacher than most Professors at Hogwarts. She didn't stop talking until both girls understood it and the smile she had on her face when they did was priceless. It was a mix of pride, happiness, accomplishment and satisfaction. They finished their assignments in silence and went to the Great Hall to have dinner.

Maria sat next to Severus, as per usual, who stared at her with a curious look.

"What?" she snapped.

He raised an eyebrow and questioned, "What do you want to become? What profession do you want to pursue?"

Maria frowned and finally answered, "The truth is that I have no idea. When I started school in" – she lowered her voice - "2016"- she raised it up again - "I didn't know what to do with my life. Everybody kept telling me to become a lawyer or an economist in the muggle world, or to work for the ministry so that I could earn money. I had great marks, so I wouldn't have had any problem pursuing those careers. There was something about them that didn't convince me though… The thing is I knew I didn't want to study for those careers, but I still didn't know what to do instead… I just knew whatever path I chose, I wanted to feel useful, because then I'd feel happy. But now… I haven't given it much of a thought. The future is uncertain and I think we'll be busy these upcoming years…"

"I think you should become a Hogwarts Professor," he suggested frankly.

She looked at him as if he had grown two heads and blurted out, "W-what?"

"You are good at it. And I believe your personality suits the career: you're intelligent, caring and affectionate, but can also be fierce. Students would adore you. With Lucinda and Bryony you demonstrated you could be really patient and the way you talked was very clear. You even took a parchment and used it as a blackboard, for Merlin's sake!"

She frowned and said, "I don't know… I've never thought about it."

"Look, I'm just saying you should consider it… When Lucinda and Bryony got the theory there was a smile on your face, Maria."

She blushed a little and confessed, "I always helped my little brother with his studies… I liked the feeling I had afterwards. And you are right; I felt the same with Bryony and Lucinda… I'll reflect on it. What do you want to become?"

She knew he had been a Professor at Hogwarts too, but she was curious to know what his ambitions were.

"I'd like to brew potions for Saint Mungo's Hospital."

"Really? That's amazing, Severus!"

"You look surprised… What was I?" he inquired with a lifted eyebrow.

"A Potions Professor at Hogwarts. If I recall correctly, you also taught Defense Against the Dark Arts and eventually became the Headmaster…"

Snape nearly spat the water he had just drunk.

"You must be kidding… Me? A Professor? I would have hated it! And I am horrible with children whatsoever!"

She laughed and teased, "I don't know… I can picture you as the typical strict Professor that looks scary but is actually a cinnamon roll…"

"Maria! I am certainly no cinnamon roll!" he complained.

She just laughed and continued, "I can totally see it." Lowering her voice and trying to impersonate him, she started, "Mr. Brown, are you deaf or are you only pretending? I said clockwise, not anticlockwise. Ten points from Gryffindor for being such a dunderhead."

He was blushing by then, but Maria kept going, "And after a particularly rough day you'd say something like: _I don't get paid enough for this…_ "

She giggled, picturing the scene in her mind. Severus couldn't help it, a tiny chuckle escaped his lips too. Her cute laugh was too contagious and it was actually funny. He was sure his future self would have said something by the lines…

"Jokes aside. I obviously didn't have you as a teacher, but I believe you wouldn't have done a devastating job, as you are so inclined to believe. You are pretty dedicated and intelligent, Severus," she admitted with a soft smile.

Seeing her smiling and joking with him so carefree ignited a warm feeling in his stomach. They were about to get up and go to their Common Room once again, when Sirius approached them. Maria's face instantly saddened and Severus felt really uncomfortable.

Black looked ashamed and murmured, "I want to talk. To both of you, if it's possible."

Snape snarled immediately, "I don't think we have anything to talk about, Black."

Sirius clenched his fits but controlled himself. "Please, it won't take long. Just listen to what I have to say."

Severus was about to refuse once again when he felt Maria touching his arm. He turned her attention to her and she whispered so that only he could hear her, "I'll listen to what he has to say… He defended me against Mulciber… I owe him that. It doesn't mean we're instantly going to be friends again, not after what he did to you. I'll need time. You can stay here if you don't want to come…"

Snape was dazed. How could she be so kind and understanding with both Sirius and himself at the same time? Something in her eyes told him that she really wanted him to accompany her, so he replied, "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

Maria smiled and, on instinct, kissed his cheek, making him gasp at the contact. When what had happened registered in Maria's mind, her cheeks turned bright pink, as well as Severus's. Just when he was starting to get used to her unexpected hugs, she had to increase the level and start to kiss him. The slytherin boy raised a hand to his cheek reflexively, just where Maria's lips had pecked him. His skin tingled warmly and he felt his head going light.

Sirius eyes saw red. Trying to forget it, Maria suggested, "Can we go somewhere more private?"

Sirius snapped out of it and instructed, "Follow me…"

The teenagers did as told and stopped in an empty classroom. Maria put her hands on her hips and urged, "Well?"

Sirius hesitated. He knew there was a big chance Snape just left before he had even finished, that was if he hadn't hexed him first.

"Maria, you were right. I'm not better than Mulciber, but I want to change. And to achieve so, the first thing to do is to recognize my mistakes and to apologize. That's why I wanted to say that I'm really sorry, Severus. It started off as a prank, but it went too far. I know you'll never forgive me, but I just want you to know that I regret it. Don't hold a grudge for the rest of my friends… I was the mind behind it; they had nothing to do with it."

Maria could tell Severus was making a big effort not to say anything and an awkward silence invaded the corridor. Sirius broke it when he saw Snape wasn't going to collaborate, "Maria. I know we are in different houses, but you have demonstrated you really don't care about that. If you let me, I would love being your friend again. Please. That was a long time ago. I'll change. And don't stop talking to Remus, Peter, James or Lily because of me…"

Maria was really uncomfortable with the conversation since she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. She started to bit her bottom lip and Severus knew she was nervous.

"Look, I can't promise anything… I really appreciate what you're doing now, but I need time. Can you give me that?"

Sirius gulped and with tearful eyes, threw his arms around her. Maria smiled sadly and hugged him back.

"I am forgiving, but it's difficult to forget. If you show me you have changed, I might consider it. If your friends did, why shouldn't I?"

He broke the embrace but kept being close to her and kissed her cheek. Maria started to blush uncontrollably as her mouth made an "O" and her brown eyes widened. It was Severus's turn to see red.

Sirius winked at her and muttered, "You won't regret it, Spanish princess."

Her eyes widened even more at the nickname he had just used. She wasn't able to speak. Snape took out his wand and pointed it at the Gryffindor.

"What are you playing at, Black?" he spat each word slowly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Snape," he tried to dissimulate.

"Of course you do! She has just told you she _might_ consider being your friend. She clearly doesn't need cheek kisses or hugs from your part!" he snarled.

"Are you jealous, Sniv-Snape?" he corrected himself. Snape didn't answer him. "Welcome to the club," Black hissed in a low voice.

Maria seemed to have her voice back, so she screeched, "Stop it! Severus, I can speak for myself! And Sirius! What's gotten into you? I don't know why you had the impulse to kiss me, but don't do it again! At least for the time being…" As an aferthought, she added, "And don't call me Spanish princess."

Sirius seemed to regret what he did.

"Sorry, Maria. I got carried away. I really want to be your friend…"

"I know, just be patient. It's not easy for me…"

Sirius had his head down in embarrassment now. Trying to light up the mood, Maria said, "See you tomorrow, Sirius. You can start showing me how you changed then. I'll overlook this…incident."

This seemed to encourage Sirius a little.

"Thank you. Good night, Maria." He hesitated but finally lowered his head and said, "Severus."

Snape just nodded and Black left. When they were alone, Maria turned to him. She was biting her bottom lip and avoiding his eyes when she asked, "Are you angry at me for giving him a chance?"

"Why should I be angry at you for having a forgiving nature? It's something I lack of. I actually admire you for it."

"Please! I'm the one who admires you! You are a hero!" she exclaimed.

"I'm far from being a hero…" he snorted.

She smiled sadly, "You know, I sometimes think you don't believe in yourself. You are capable of great things Severus. You are a slytherin." He didn't reply. "I believe in you, Severus. We are going to stop a war, you and I, together."

She was smiling at him and Severus found himself thinking that she looked incredibly pretty. Unconsciously, he caressed her cheek with his knuckles. Maria stared as if hypnotized at his deep black orbs. Her breathing accelerated and her pupils dilated.

"Severus?" she inquired with a slightly trembling voice, "What was that about being jealous?"

His eyes, which had been staring at her lips, rose up to meet her eyes, but he didn't answer her. She took the hand that was caressing her cheek and gently pushed it aside, giving it a squeeze.

"You are my _best_ friend, Severus. There is no need to be jealous."

He sighed and confessed in a low voice while staring at their hands, "It hasn't been a week since we met, but it seems like forever. I've never bonded with anyone so fast, not even with Lily. Seeing you with Sirius… It drives me crazy."

Maria's expression softened and she admitted, "I've never bonded with anyone so fast either… Whatever happens with Sirius doesn't matter, it won't change that fact."

He avoided her eyes but nodded anyway, still unsure about his emotions. Noticing this, Maria exclaimed light-heartedly, "Come on, big guy, come here!"

Maria had her arms open in a clear invitation for another hug session. Severus chuckled at her lively expression and wrapped her in his arms, feeling lucky to be the one to hug her, instead of Sirius.

"Wow! You told me my hugs aren't that bad, but by the way you are holding me, I assume you really _enjoy_ them," she teased.

"Shut up, Ruiz! You win, okay? I like your hugs. Are you happy now?" he mumbled as he pulled away. The witch poked his hooked nose playfully and whispered, "Very. I'll be able to sleep at night now."

"You're impossible!"

She just giggled and said, "Maybe… Can we go to the Slytherin Common Room? I'm really tired!"

In vengeance for all her teasing, he joked, "Sure. The _Spanish princess_ needs her rest, after all."

Maria gasped at the nickname and threatened with squinting eyes, "Severus Snape, I swear. If you call me that again I'll tickle you to death and I won't need a bloody spell for it. I'll-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Severus had already started to tickle her with his long thin fingers. He didn't know what had come over him, but he couldn't stop. Maria started to laugh and tried to push him away, but he was bigger than her. Soon, she found herself lying on the floor with Severus over her. She was crying from all the laughing and she kept pleading, "Stop! Severus! _¡Por favor!_ Just stop already! Oh my god! I'll get back at you! Just you wait!" [ _Por favor_ = please]

Who would have known she was so ticklish? He didn't acknowledge it, but he was smiling. He was actually smiling and laughing with her. It had been years since he had done that. He finally took pity of her and put and end to the tickling torture.

He grabbed her wrists and positioned them next to each side of her head. He was on top of her. Her hair was a mess; lots of locks had gotten out of her ponytail. She had rosy cheeks from the laughing and kept smiling back at him and breathing hard. Their noses were touching and Snape could feel her hot breath on his lips. Severus felt a rush of adrenaline and started to lean in, his eyes shut and his lips expectant. He felt her breath hitching and was about to close the gap when some steps resonated down the corrider, alerting them.

 _"¡_ _Joder_ _!"_ she hissed under her breath, breaking the spell. [joder = fuck]

Severus didn't know what that meant, but he could have sworn it was another Spanish swearword. They got up hastily and hid behind the teacher's table. A cat entered the classroom and started to approach them. The teenagers held their breaths in anticipation.

"Mrs. Norris! Come here!" Filch yelled.

The cat turned around and made his way to his owner, who caught his pet and went away. Maria and Severus sighed relieved.

"I hate that cat!" Severus pouted.

"Agreed. Why is it always Filch?" Maria added, without expecting an answer. "Come on, we should get going. It's late."

…

 **A/N:** _This will be a Severus Snape x Maria Ruiz story! Not Sirius x Maria. Don't worry!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The first thing that came to Snape' mind when he woke up was Maria Ruiz, his Spanish friend with glasses. Severus was afraid of his feelings. He had nearly kissed her more than once the other day and almost suceeded in his last attempt after tickling her. Why? They had known each other for less than a week, and yet, just the thought of her made him feel warm inside. Maria had become his best friend. Severus and Lily had been friends since childhood and slowly, he had developed more feelings for the green-eyed girl. He remembered how jealous he was of James when he saw them kissing, but now he didn't mind it. Now he got jealous of Sirius when he was with Maria, instead.

As Severus showered, he recalled Maria's laugh and face while he kept tickling her yesterday. It had been the first time Severus felt really happy since he had called Lily a mudblood. In fact, just the thought of it made him smile. That action was still a little foreign to him, just like cuddling had been, but with Maria, he found himself doing it more and more.

When he finished the shower, he got dressed and went downstairs, looking forward to spend the day with the muggleborn witch. Maria was already there, chatting animatedly with Bryony and Lucinda. When Severus saw her, he stopped dead in his tracks. She was wearing a half-up half-down hairstyle which made her look even prettier. Severus snapped out of his trance and approached her.

"Hi Severus!" she greeted.

"Hi," he replied.

"I'm hungry! Can we go have breakfast?" she suggested.

Snape smirked at her cute expression and teased, "Sure, our _Spanish princess_ needs to eat, now that she is fully rested."

Her eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment, but she countered back quickly, "Severus Snape! I told you not to call me that! I will get back at you when you least expect it! ¡ _Ya lo verás!_ " [Ya lo verás = you'll see, just you wait]

He rolled his eyes, ignored her incomprenhensible Spanish words and uttered with sarcasm, "Sure."

The slytherin girls were speechless. They had never seen Severus act like that. He seemed different, relaxed. They didn't comment anything though, in fear his attitude turned grumpy again.

"See you later, girls!" Maria mumbled as she got up and left the room with her friend.

While they were walking down the corridors, Maria whispered, "We should go to the library today. We have to find a way to get basilik venom and make a list of all the spells which are related to fire."

Severus nodded and added, "It's Saturday, so we have all day to go there. What about this afternoon?"

She shrugged and babbled, "Fine by me… I have to start the Transfiguration essay anyway…"

They had breakfast and went outside to finish their homework. They spent three hours non-stop on it. During that time, Snape kept giving her glances. He found cute the way her face changed when she was concentrated while writing. He was so close he could study the freckles on her nose and cheeks.

"Do you fancy taking a walk around the lake?" he asked all of a sudden.

He didn't know how he had gathered the courage to ask her that. He only hoped she didn't reject the offer. Maria raised her eyebrow in surprise at his suggestion, but immediately smiled and nodded. The corners of Snape's mouth twitched slightly, barely noticeable. Most people would overlook it, but Maria got the impression that he was smiling back at her.

* * *

Meanwhile, the marauders and Lily were chatting in their Common Room.

"Guys, I have to tell you something…" Peter started, twiddling his thumbs.

"What is it, Wormtail?" James asked.

"It's about Snape and Maria…"

The statement caught everybody's attention. He gulped and continued, "Yesterday I was passing by the seventh floor when I saw Snape. I didn't say anything, but he looked edgy. Then, I stumbled upon Maria. She was…" he trailed off.

"Go on, Peter. We are listening," encouraged Lily.

Remus and Sirius exchanged looks. They could already guess what state Maria was in.

"She was crying and asked for Severus, so I told her I saw him there. She didn't say anything else, just went to find him. I was worried though, so I followed her… And I discovered something. There is a hidden room, a room which doesn't appear in our map! They entered and got out of it! I wasn't able to go in though, I don't know why…"

"A hidden room?" James asked.

"Yes."

Remus pondered it for a second… He had a theory.

"Guys, do you remember those times we were trying to track Snape down but he was nowhere to be found in the map? What if he was in that room?"

"I have to see it with my own eyes. Why doesn't it show in the map?" Sirius mumbled.

"Come on guys! You are forgetting the most important question… What were they doing there? If Maria entered it, it meant she had already been there. How is it possible? It's been a week since she's been here. How can she know about the room when we have been studying here and exploring the castle for years and didn't even know it existed?" James questioned.

Everybody fell silent, reflecting on it, until Lily broke the silence, "Severus must have shown her… But I don't understand, I was his only friend for years and he never told me about it… Why would he tell Maria? They have just met…"

"Perhaps he found it after you two argued…" James suggested, trying to light up her mood, which had changed considerably at the mention of the slytherin boy.

Shaking her head, Lily mumbled, "No… It makes sense now… He sometimes disappeared and always excused himself, but I had a feeling he was lying. He must have known of its existence before…"

There was an awkward silence which Remus broke, "I think it's not of our business to know what they do there…"

"I disagree!" Sirius rapidly exclaimed. "What if he's doing something dangerous for Maria?"

"Maybe we should just ask her…" Peter proposed.

"I'd still wait some more… You have only seen them once; it doesn't mean they are plotting anything…" Remus added.

They all agreed despite Sirius's complaints.

* * *

Severus and Maria researched on the spells related to fire all the afternoon, but they only found _Incendio_. That wasn't any development, and it discouraged them a little. They already knew about that charm, since it was an OWLs level one, and somehow, they had the impression it wouldn't be enough. With regards to basilisk's venom, they learned it was extremely poisonous and corrosive, a substance that could only be cured with phoenix tears, which were a really rare substance.

"I'm sorry we haven't progressed much today…" apologized Maria.

"Don't worry. I think I know exactly where to look for what we need…" Severus whispered.

"Do tell."

He put some silencing charms in the empty room they were in so that nobody could overhear them. Then, he explained, "Horcruxes are dark magic, right? If it is dark magic, it means we can only fight it back with dark magic too."

Maria didn't like where this was going, but she let him finish.

"I have some Dark Arts books. I think I remember reading about something do to with fire… My guess is that that is what we need. I'm aware we cannot rely solely on that though… I believe we can get basilisk venom if we talk to the right people…"

"The right people?"

"The Malfoys. Maybe Lucius can help us."

Snape held his breath expecting a negative answer out of Maria, who stayed silent as she pondered what he had just said. Snape's nerves dissipated when she whispered in a very low voice, "Alright"

Severus stared at her in astonishment and murmured, "Alright? That's it? Aren't you going to sermonize me or tell me how bad the Dark Arts are? Merlin knows Lily would have…"

"I'm not Lily," she countered back, somewhat offended.

"I know. Do you think we can do it, then?"

Maria hesitated and in the same low tone, she said, "I don't like the Dark Arts, but I don't see any other choice. If your book and the Malfoys can give us what we require to accomplish our mission, then I'm not against it. I think we can do it, although we'll have to be extremely careful." Severus seemed surprised by her answer, so she added, "I am a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. Slytherins do whatever is necessary. If we have to rely on the Dark Arts to stop a war, then, so be it."

He was flabbergasted for a moment by her statement. When he recovered his voice though, he told her, "I'm glad to finally have a real Slytherin friend. You understand me. You haven't run away from me when I suggested the Dark Arts… Thank you."

Maria grinned ruefully and told him, "Severus, you don't have to thank me… You suggested the Dark Arts because it was the only way you saw to progress a little… You only wanted to help. Why would I run from you? Sure, it doesn't seem like the ideal way to confront the problem, but it's the only possibility we have at the moment. I still hate the Dark Arts and truth be told, I am terrified of them; but if they are a solution to our problem, I'm willing to give them a try. Many people would judge us, but I don't care. I'm doing what I believe must be done. And knowing I can rely on you really calms me down. I'm your friend, Severus. I know your intentions are good and that's enough for me."

Severus was speechless and avoided her eyes. He didn't know how or why he gained such a compassionate person in his life, but he was glad fate had played in his favour. No one had stayed by him, not even Lily. She always hated the Dark Arts. Maria disliked them too, she had claimed so, but she was open-minded enough to try his plan out.

"Severus… Did Lily stop being friends with you only for the mudblood thing or did it have something to do with the Dark Arts too?"

He was taken aback and Maria noticed, so she apologized immediately as she started to get up, "Sorry! I shouldn't have asked you about it! Just forget it. I don't have to know."

"Wait!" he screamed while he took her hand. "I-I don't mind it. I'll tell you what happened…"

"Are you sure? You really don't have too," she repeated.

He inhaled deeply and explicated, "Lily had always known I didn't dislike the Dark Arts, so I avoided the topic with her. She stopped talking to me after I called her _that_ , but our relationship had started to worsen when I began to talk to Mulciber. The insult was just the last piece to break our friendship."

"Why did you call her that?" she asked with vulnerability in her voice.

Severus sighed and confessed, "It slipped. I guess that's what happens when you hang out with Mulciber. Besides, I-"

He trailed off, so Maria squeezed his hand. "You can tell me. I'm not leaving, Severus."

He gulped and admitted, "Potter and his gang were humiliating me like they never had before… I couldn't let Lily see me in that state… When she came, she chuckled at my situation and then tried to help me, but I snapped... What I did deserves no forgiveness. I have no excuse. I know that."

"Severus, I just see a boy who was embarrassed in front of the girl he fancied. You probably weren't thinking clearly and it is obvious you regret it."

Alarmed, Snape shrieked, "Who said anything about fancying Lily?"

She smiled sadly and replied, "In 2016, everybody knows you were in love with that woman, Severus."

"What?" he asked horrified while he started to blush.

"You probably still are head over heels for her…" she whispered.

Severus noticed her voice held a hint of sadness, but before he could come up with something to say, Maria spoke up once again, "I don't know Lily that well, but maybe you can win her back. You said your relationship worsened when you started to talk to Mulciber. Well, since I came here, you only were with them before my accident. You have defended me against them. If she knew it, maybe she'd give you a chance, after you apologize for the insult, of course."

"Do you think we can be friends again, after everything that's happened?"

"You won't know it if you don't try," she shrugged.

Severus nodded. He felt calm around her. It was nice to have somebody to talk to without fear they'd judge you. He remembered something she hid from him a while ago and decided it was the right timing to approach the topic.

"May I ask you something?" he started.

"Sure. You've told me something which was very personal. You can ask right away," she said with a reassuring smile.

"In the Come and Go Room you told me about a prophecy. There was only one who could end with He-who-must-not-be-named. You said he wasn't even born, but you avoided telling me the name. Why?"

The smile she had just had seconds ago on her face vanished.

"I-I would tell you, but I don't want to hurt you…" she hesitated.

"Why would it hurt me?" he questioned.

She bit her lip and looked away. Severus reached for her chin and directed her gaze at him.

"You know his parents," she confessed in a low voice.

"You can tell me… I want to know the truth."

"Promise you won't hate me!" she pleaded.

Severus was starting to get scared now, but he told her with all sincerity, "Honestly, I think I could never hate you, Maria. No matter what you did or said."

She took a big breath and said, "The guy of the prophecy was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One."

Snape frowned. "Potter? Potter's son defeated You-know-who?"

She nodded. Snape was confused until all of sudden, it clicked. "The boy was Lily's son too, wasn't he? That's why you didn't want to tell me."

"Yes."

Snape shut his eyes and gulped, but kept on with his hand on her chin. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Severus, are you alright?"

He considered lying to her, but he knew it would be of no use, so he opened his eyes and stuck for the truth, "Not really."

She smiled sadly and held him in her arms.

"What are you doing?!"

"You looked like you needed a hug. Don't fight it. You can't win, especially after you confessed you liked my hugs," she teased, lighting up the mood.

She was right. Severus instantly relaxed and focused on her touch, on the way her arms enfolded him and made him feel at home. He forgot about everything, about Lily, about Mulciber, about Potter… He just concentrated on her levander scent.

A few minutes later, she pulled away and asked him, her voice filled with care, "Are you feeling better?"

He nodded. The truth was that he had expected to feel worse than he did. He was angry at Lily for having a son with his enemy. But, surprisingly, he didn't feel jealous.

Maria smiled and tightened her grip once again, resting her head on his shoulder.

"See? My hugs help," she ribbed.

"Yes, yes, whatever," Severus pouted.

She just chuckled, making Severus smile. It felt so good to have her in his arms. He could spend the whole day like that. When she pulled away, Severus already missed her warmth.

"Come on, let's have dinner!"

* * *

Sunday hadn't been as entertaining. Snape and Ruiz forgot about Horcruxes and focused on school. They spent nearly all day doing homework. Lily and Maria had met to do an Ancient Runes, although they didn't only talk about the subject. Lily nearly asked her about the seventh floor room, but thought better of it and told her about Hogsmeade, instead. Maria had never been there, and she was amazed by all the things she could visit. The day was long and boring, and Maria was so exhausted after dinner that she excused herself to Severus and went to sleep.

Snape was about to follow her lead when Mulciber, Avery and Rosier appeared. They cornered him.

"You haven't forgotten our deal, have you?" growled Avery.

"Do you have an answer, yet?" Rosier asked.

Snape kept quiet. He remembered what Regulus had told him. He couldn't let Maria get hurt, not after finding in her somebody to lean on. He would never forgive himself. Maria was right. Slytherins do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals. Right now, Snape's goal was to keep her safe.

"If you don't join him, you can say goodbye to your little friend, Snape, " Mulciber threatened.

That made it. Severus found himself blurting out that he would do it.

Mulciber smiled evilly and muttered, "Wise decision, Snape. You'll receive more information soon. The Dark Lord will be pleased."

With that said, the three of them left him alone. Severus looked edgy, but he didn't regret his choice. Maria wouldn't be hurt, now. He just had to be careful so that nobody else knew that he was about to join You-Know-Who.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Maria woke up along her roommates, Lucinda Talkalot and Bryony Shafiq. The trio prepared themselves for the day. Once they were ready, they went downstairs and chatted a little in the Common Room. Severus was nowhere to be seen. However, their morning conversation was cut short by Regulus Black. He appeared nervous and kept fidgeting. He also looked a paler than usual.

"Maria, may I talk to you?" he asked with urgency in his voice.

Maria frowned and the pair walked towards a more private part of the room.

"What is it?" asked the girl with freckles.

Just taking in his appearance was making her nervous too.

Regulus took a big breath, as if to calm his nerves, and whispered in a very low voice, so that no one else could hear him, "Severus is about to make a big mistake."

Maria's features showed confusion.

"Pardon? What mistake? I don't know what you're talking about…"

He stared at the ground and blurted out, "He's going to become a Death Eater."

Maria's eyes widened. She knew Severus Snape had been Death Eater in the beginning, but then he had givenhis life for Dumbledore's cause. He became a spy and played an important role in Voldemort's defeat. Books and professors never told why he joined the Death Eaters in the first place. She doubted anyone but the same Snape ever knew the real answer. Ruiz hadn't expected him to join them while he was still attending school, though. Why would he? Maria didn't understand it. With her presence, they actually had a chance, small as it was, to finally end Voldemort's reign before it went too far. What was the reason he had decided to do something so drastic? Why hadn't he told her? Severus wasn't like Mulciber, was he? He didn't believe in blood purity. He had said so, but what if it was a lie? What if Lily and the marauders had been right all this time? Maria's mind kept questioning about these topics without getting feasible answers. The muggleborn was at loss and couldn't help but feel angry and betrayed. This was too overwhelming.

"How do you know it?" she demanded.

Regulus gulped and murmured, "Because he and I are getting the mark in the same day. I heard Avery say so…"

Maria was starting to get headache. She rubbed her temples and hissed, with hurt in her voice, even though she wasn't that surprised, "Why? Why have you decided to join these people?"

He shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand… I have no choice… But Severus does! He doesn't know that I am aware of it… Please you have to help him!"

Maria sighed and took Regulus's hand. She was trying not only to appease him, but also to tranquilize her own nerves too.

"If you had a choice, would you join them?"

"I don't know," he replied after swallowing hard.

Maria's eyes were starting to get tearful because of the helplessness she was feeling at the moment. She saw nothing but a confused and trapped boy in front of her.

"Okay… Thank you for telling me, Regulus. I'll do whatever I can to stop this madness… And not only for Severus, but for you too."

"There's nothing you can do for me…" he said in a defeated tone while shaking his head.

"I can still try," she insisted.

Regulus went away, leaving Maria to her thoughts. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was leaning on the wall. A lump was forming in her throat and the witch looked like she was about to cry.

"Maria?" somebody called out.

It was Severus. Maria tried to smile at him, but her grin didn't reach her eyes. Severus noticed it and it made him furrow his frow in confusion and worry.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really…" she uttered. "But it doesn't matter. We should have breakfast and go to class." She made to leave, but Severus grabbed her arm, preventing her from going anywhere.

"If you're not fine you don't have to go to class… I'll take notes for you…" he offered.

He recalled the other time he had done that for her. She hated missing class, that's what she had said. Her eyes weren't shining like usual right now. There was something off with her and Severus preferred that she rested.

Maria shut her eyes and took big breaths, but didn't reply.

"Maria? Come on, what's wrong? You look like you're about to burst into tears… Tell me."

Snape had only meant to help his new friend. It hadn't been long since they had met, but he cherished her a lot and he hated seeing her in such a state.

Ruiz was feeling more overwhelmed by the moment. There he was, the guy she cared so much for had decided to join the Death Eaters and was now offering to take notes for her and comfort her. What was he playing at? She couldn't take it anymore, so she exploded, "It's neither the time nor the place to talk about it, Severus! Stop annoying me and telling me what to do!"

The half-blood wizard was hurt by her words, so his expression, which had shown concern until that moment, turned into a cold one. So that was what he got when he tried to be helpful and caring for once in his life? Now he was angry.

"Fine! Have it your way!" he squeaked, and stomped off the room.

Maria stood there, trying to focus on her breathing and forget about everything else. A few minutes later, she went to the Great Hall. She spotted the black hair from Severus, but didn't feel like sitting next to him. She was just too edgy and knew emotions weren't something Snape was good at. It could lead them to cause a scene and that was the last thing she needed. She spotted Bryony and Lucinda and decided to join them instead. Maybe this way she'd think of something else for a while.

"Hi! May I join you?" Maria asked politely.

"Sure! But don't you prefer sitting with Snape? You always do…" observed Lucinda.

"Yes, well. We've had a little misunderstanding…"

"Oh! I'm sorry. What happened?" Bryony asked, ready for some gossip.

Ruiz shrugged and mumbled, "I don't want to talk about it."

The expression on her face took Bryony and Lucinda aback. They were used to seeing a cheerful, helpful and a sometimes sassy Maria, but today, the Spanish girl's face showed sadness, regret, impotence and fear. They didn't understand it. Just a few minutes ago, before Maria talked to Regulus, she was looking just fine.

"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to intrude. It's just that since you are his friend, Severus has acted differently. He's more open and smiles more… It would be a pity if he lost you…" Lucinda whispered.

"Don't worry. I need a little time, but I'm sure we'll work it out…" assured Maria, altough her tone hadn't been as convincing as she would have wished for.

Severus was watching their little interaction from afar. It made him feel jealous. He was mad at himself now: how could he feel angry at Ruiz and at the same time be envious because she wasn't by his side?

The classes went by and Maria tried to stick around the marauders, Lily, Lucinda and Bryony; avoiding her slytherin friend at all costs. When their last class reached its end though, Maria got up and finally approached Severus.

"We have to talk," she commanded.

"Really? I had the impression that wasn't your intention… With you ignoring me all day and all…" he said with sarcasm in his voice, although one could also detect a hint of hurt.

"Ugh! I'm sorry, okay? I needed to think. We have to go somewhere private… Please."

"Stop annoying me and telling me what to do, Ruiz," he mocked her.

That sentence had hurt him profoundly and now he saw she was also hurt by it. He assumed he'd feel better by saying it, but he felt worse when he saw her anguished reaction.

"I-I'm sorry… Please, it's important…"

She seemed to have a lump in her throat, yet he paid it no attention and made his way to the door. Just when Maria thought that he was going to completely ignore her, he turned around and snarled, "Didn't you want to go somewhere more private?"

Their way towards the Room of Requirement had been tense to say the least. They entered the room quietly and it transformed into a flowering field, as the last time they went in. It seemed like both of them needed to breathe fresh air and the room granted them just that. Both stared at each other's eyes for a few minutes, neither uttering a single word.

"You wanted to talk, so talk," Severus snapped, finally breaking the silence.

Maria held her gaze and bluntly claimed, "I know you are going to become a Death Eater."

His coal eyes widened in shock and he wasn't able to say anything. Her eyes were tearful, just like they had been that morning when he had found her in the Common Room. _She must have discovered it this morning_ , he thought. All at once, the attitude she had displayed towards him during the day made sense.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked in disbelief.

"H-How do you know?" he managed to let out.

"Please! That's what matters the least!" she shrieked. "What the hell is wrong with you, Severus? How could you do this to me?"

She was letting out all her fury now and some tears had started to stream down her face.

"You don't get it…"

"Oh, that's rich! I don't get why the guy who claimed to be my friend has suddenly joined the people who would gladly kill me without giving it a second thought just because my parents are muggles! It's strange that I don't understand it, isn't it?" she shouted with irony.

"Maria, listen…"

He tried to grab her hand in order to appease her, but she slapped him hard on the face, making him put a hand on his stinging cheek.

"Don't touch me!" she threatened.

That did it, he exploded, "I did it for you, dammit! I did it to protect you! Mulciber made a deal with me! Now that I've accepted to become a Death Eater, he won't hurt you again! Can't you see?! I can't lose you! I _won't_ lose you! I care too much to let you go… I already saw you in your blood pool once! I was bloody terrified! I dream of it every night! If I have to become a Death Eater to prevent something like that, so be it! I don't care! I won't take risks with you! I just want to keep you safe… I think I love you, damn it…"

The Spanish girl felt her heart beating faster and stronger than usual. By the end of his outburst, Severus's eyes had gotten a little tearful. "I love you… And it scares me to death," he repeated in a defeated tone.

Maria was overwhelmed by hundreds of contradictory emotions: guilt, adoration, anger, happiness, helplessness, disbelief… It made her feel a knot in her stomach. On impulse, she tiptoed, shut her eyes and clumsily crushed her lips to his while she grabbed his head and yanked him even closer to her body. Snape had his eyes opened in shock. When his brain finally registered what was happening, he closed them and started to kiss her back. Words couldn't describe how good that felt. Snape put his arms on her slim waist and pulled her even closer to him. This made her gasp; making her mouth slightly open and giving him the permission he needed to explore it. As their tongues danced around each other, Maria let out a low moan of pleasure which drove Severus wild. He wanted to hear that sound again. Before he could though, Maria broke the kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily and Severus kept his arms around her, while Maria opted for putting his palms on his chest.

Maria panted while shaking her head, "Severus Snape, you are definitely the dumbest guy of the school…"

He was still out of breath, so he didn't reply. His mind was too busy processing that Maria Ruiz, the most beautiful and charming slytherin girl in the world, had just kissed him willingly. It made Snape blush a little. Did it mean she felt the same towards him?

"Gosh, Severus… Why did you have to do it?" she asked with sadness.

"I'm not going to repeat the speech, Ruiz, if that's what you are after…" he teased.

She nudged him playfully. "You know what I mean…"

Severus sighed, "They threatened me… If I didn't join them, they would hurt you once again… They were planning something bad…"

She bit her lip and blurted out, "We have to tell Dumbledore…"

"What?! We were doing just fine without him and you told me the twat wouldn't know!" he complained, pushing her away.

"If you call joining the Death Eaters _doing just fine_ , then there is clearly something wrong with you, Severus."

"I can handle them," he reassured her.

"I know. You were a Death Eater that joined Dumbledore and spied for him for years, but that doesn't mean that this time around I'm going to let you go through it…"

He was starting to get angry again. "Then I'll be a spy again! Haven't you listened to me? I care for you! It's the only way!"

"I care for you too! That's why we need to tell Dumbledore! He's the only one who can help! Besides, Regulus is joining them as well. If he does, he will die. Please, Severus… I don't know if I can handle waiting for you at night knowing you are in Death Eater's meetings and worrying about whether you'd come back… I don't want to find out either…"

Severus looked troubled.

"I don't know what you have against the headmaster, but I don't see any other way. You becoming a bloody Death Eater is not an option for me…" she added.

Severus sighed and reluctantly conceded, "Fine. If that's what you want… I won't let those imbeciles touch you, Maria."

The witch smiled brightly at him and gave him a peck on the lips. Her smile was contagious and soon he found himself grinning right back at her. All of sudden, she frowned and put her hand on the cheek she had just slapped a few minutes before, caressing it delicately.

"Sorry about that…"

"Don't worry, I probably deserved it anyway…"

She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek. Before she could pull away though, Severus had already turned his head, and pulled her towards him smoothly, pressing their lips together. This time, the kiss wasn't as passionate. It was gentle and slow, but it still made him feel butterflies in his stomach. When they broke the kiss, they rested their foreheads together.

"I don't know what you've made to me…" he confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"It's been a week, Maria. And I already have strong feelings for you…"

She bit her lip and mumbled, "I know, I'm confused at my own feelings too… This is new for me, but I've felt like this since the night we snuck out to the library, when Filch came…"

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Me too…"

There was an awkward silence which was broken by Maria, "This is getting too cheesy even for me…"

Snape chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Ditto. So what now?"

"Now we tell Dumbledore that Mulciber and his crew threatened you and that you found yourself agreeing to save me, but that you really don't want to join them… We should also mention Regulus."

"And about the future thing?" he wondered.

"You don't want him to know, do you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He shook his head. "If he knew, he'd use us to end the war. We'd be his little pawns…"

Maria sighed and babbled, "I guess we could skip that detail then… But if it the situation worsens, we tell him. Understood?"

Severus nodded.

"Good."

Just as they left the room of the flowering field, they found themselves face to face with Lily, Peter, James, Remus and Sirius. Potter held a parchment which looked like a map on his hand.

"What exactly is this room, Maria? What were you doing there?" Lily demanded.

Even though the question had been directed at the brown-eyed girl, Lily was also giving Snape glances, as if asking him too. The five gryffindors were confused and expecting an answer.

 _Joder_ , thought Maria. _Now what? [Joder = fuck]_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sirius took a step closer and Severus positioned himself in front of Maria immediately, as if trying to protect her. Then, he grasped his wand and pointed it at Black. James, Peter and Remus took out his wands instantaneously as well.

"Calm down, Snape! I wasn't going to do anything!" screamed Sirius.

"Maria doesn't have to tell you anything," he snarled slowly.

Maria put a hand on Severus shoulder. He instantly relaxed into her touch and lowered his wand. The three gryffindors followed his lead.

"Please, Maria. We are worried… Just tell us. If Severus is dragging you into the bad path-" Lily started before she was cut short.

"Severus is doing no such thing!" the Spanish girl retorted, now angry at them because of the wrong implication. "And he is right. It's none of your business."

"At least tell us what that room is? Why does it disappear?" Lily pressed.

Maria's brows puckered in a frown. "You don't know?" The brown-eyed girl shook her head in disbelief and continued, "It doesn't matter. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually… Let's go, Severus."

"It's not the first time you've been here. I saw you!" shouted Peter before the slytherins could wriggle out. "You're planning something bad! Why else wouldn't you tell us?"

"If you don't admit it we'll tell Dumbledore!" James warned when they didn't answer his friend.

This made Severus and Maria stare at each other alarmed. Maria turned to face them and spat, eyes narrowed, "So you're threatening me now? Last time I checked, friends didn't threaten each other. Friendship is based on respect, like all kinds of relationships."

This time, Remus intervened, "We don't want to do this, Maria. We're just worried. Why don't you trust in us?"

Maria gulped soundly and Severus took her hand on instinct, as if trying to appease her. This detail didn't escape anybody's notice.

"Why don't you trust in me? Is it because I'm slytherin?"

"It's not that, Maria…" Sirius told her.

"Let me guess then. It's because I'm friends with Severus, isn't it?"

This time everybody fell silent. Maria snorted, "Figures. At least Severus doesn't threaten me and he respects my decisions. He's a real friend; he doesn't push me to the limit like you are doing just now. You want to tell Dumbledore? Fine. Go ahead. I don't believe he will do anything to us just because we were talking in a private room. If he didn't do anything when you nearly killed Severus I don't see why I should be afraid of something like this."

Snape had a look of adoration on his face while Maria pronounced that speech. Nobody had ever defended him like her. It only made him love her more.

The Gryffindor group looked ashamed save for Lily, who had a mix of regretful and nostalgic look plastered on her features.

Remus was the first to speak, "We are sorry, Maria. We didn't mean to pressure you. We were worried and thought we were doing the right thing… We'll just leave you alone."

Peter hesitated and asked, "Is that what you did the other day, when I found you crying? You just wanted to talk?"

Maria nodded.

"I'm sorry for implying-"

The rat animagus was cut short by Maria's stern voice, "Just forget it."

The marauders exchanged an understanding look and left, but Lily stayed behind with the two snakes.

"We just didn't want to see you making my mistakes. I don't want to see you heart-broken like me, Maria. You are a halfblood, so he won't call you mudblood. But that doesn't mean he can't do anything else to hurt you. His real friends are the Dark Arts…" Lily whispered with a hurt voice.

Severus felt a pang of pain in his heart at his former friend's words, while all Maria felt was fury, so she screamed, "Severus never wanted to lose you, Lily! He doesn't believe in all this blood nonsense! He regrets calling you that every day!"

"Maria, just let it go…" started the black-haired boy.

"Like hell! I'm tired of listening to the same discourse over and over again! Severus is a good friend! And you really have to believe me when I tell you that he isn't like Mulciber!"

Lily was taken aback by the ire and conviction in her brown eyes, which looked a shade darker than usual.

"How do you know? I also believed that once, but actions speak louder than words. There was a time I thought I had a friend in him… I was a fool. He wasn't my friend, not really. My parents are muggles, after all," she said sadly.

Severus couldn't hold back anymore. He blew up, "I was your friend for years, Lily! I was your friend because I liked who you were! Your blood had nothing to do with it!"

The red-haired girl was shocked at his outburst, but she recovered quickly and mumbled, "Maybe in the beginning, Severus, but you and I know this changed. If Maria had been a muggleborn, would you have even talked to her? Or would you have befriended her so that you could hurt her in the end?"

Snape shut his eyes and kept silent. He didn't want to reveal anything, even if he was dying to see her face if she ever knew that Maria's parents were muggles. He couldn't betray her trust like that. He cared too much for the Spanish girl.

"Stop talking to him like that! Please! You don't understand anything!" pleaded Maria.

"Then help me understand!" Lily requested in the same tone.

"I'm a muggleborn! I'm a muggleborn, okay?! And Severus knew all along! He didn't care! He _doesn't_ care!" Maria finally exploded.

Lily was too shocked to say anything.

"Maria…" Severus whispered, bewildered by her flare-up.

"You said actions speak louder than words? Severus cares for me, a muggleborn witch, just like you."

Her green eyes were wide and she couldn't reprimand a surprised gasp. After all, muggleborn slytherins weren't common. In fact, Lily could bet that Maria Ruiz was the first one. If what she said was the truth and Snape knew since the beginning yet chose to be by her side, she could comprehend why the witch had always defended her snarky friend.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" wondered Lily with tearful eyes once she recovered her voice.

Maria sighed, "I don't want the secret to come out. Mulciber is already giving me a hard time. I'm not going to give him more reasons to do so. You can't tell anyone! Please, not even James or the guys! I'm begging you!"

Lily gulped and nodded when she saw the real fear Maria's eyes showed in that moment. Then she directed her gaze to the black eyes.

"Do you really regret it?"

Snape held his breath and told her, "I'll always regret it…"

Lily kept looking at him, but didn't comment.

"I wish one day you find it in your heart to forgive me…" he continued.

Lily sighed and confessed, "Maybe you have changed. I haven't seen you with Mulciber again, anyway. I-I m-miss you… Perhaps, if Maria can be your friend, I can also be yours again…"

He hadn't expected this reaction out of the Gryffindor girl, not even in his dreams. Severus's heart was beating fast when he admitted in a low voice, "I would like that very much… I miss you too."

Lily let out a sob and threw her arms around his neck. Severus immediately closed his eyes and hugged her back, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Lily, I'm so sorry," he murmured with tearful eyes.

"Oh Sev! I'm the one who's sorry."

 _Sev_. It felt like forever since Severus had heard her using that pet name she always called him as kids and during the first years at Hogwarts. It made him smile tenderly at the memories, even though he had always hated the nickname.

Maria felt left-out. She bit her lip and stared at the floor, wanting to disappear. She was glad for them, but she couldn't help but feel that now that Severus had Lily again, he wouldn't need her. Now that Severus had her back, he wouldn't love her anymore. Why would he? She had just been the substitute all along.

When they finally broke the embrace, Severus was smiling and so was Lily.

"I guess you'll have a lot to talk about… I'll just leave you two…" Maria offered in a wretched tone.

Before she could turn around though, Severus saw a tear streaming down her face.

"Maria! Wait! What's wrong?" he wondered, really concerned.

"It's nothing…" she lied.

"It's clearly something! You are crying!"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll just leave. I'll-"

"Maria? Is it because of the way we pushed you before? I'm really sorry. We really thought we were doing the right-"

"It's not that," she quickly interrupted the gryffindor.

"What is it then?" Lily asked again, but she didn't get a response.

"Maria, dammit! Just answer! I hate seeing you crying!" the slytherin ordered.

Unexpectedly, Maria bit her bottom lip and pecked his cheek. Then, she mumbled with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I'm really happy for you two…"

The witch ran down the corridor before her friends could stall her. The snake boy and the lioness girl were taken aback by her reaction.

"I'm sorry Lily, but I have to find her!" Severus told her as soon as he recovered from the shock.

"I'm going with you! She's my friend too."

"Fine. You go left and I'll go right. This way we'll find her sooner."

Lily nodded and hurried. Severus finally spotted Maria in an empty classroom, crying silently, staring outside through the window. She had her arms wrapped around herself and her pose was kinda droopy, as if she struggled to fully stand.

"Maria! Thank Merlin!" he shouted relieved as he approached her figure.

Maria's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Lily had a lot to talk about… It's been years since-"

"It can wait. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he cut her off.

She just shook her head.

"Maria… I'm worried, okay? Why did you run away?"

She avoided his eyes at all costs and lowered her head. Severus didn't have any of it, so he cupped her face gently and caressed her cheek while he dried her tears with his thumb and made her stare at his obsidian eyes.

"You should be with Lily now… Just forget about me…" she insisted, stubborn as ever.

"Maria, I cannot spend time with Lily when I know you are in this state… She's also worried about you. Come on, what's the matter? You can tell me anything, you know that, don't you?"

She stared at him as more tears fell down.

"I-I don't want to lose you…" she whispered in a low trembling voice after a few moments of silence.

"Lose me?" he spluttered, his eyebrows raised. "Why would you think that?"

She wavered, but finally admitted, "You have Lily back. You don't need me anymore. You have always loved her. Now you have a chance with her…"

"What?" he yelped disconcerted.

"It's alright. I've been a fool. I should have never let myself feel anything for you more than any friend would; I knew it would end in pain. You'll always be Lily's."

Snape's eyes softened and he kept on caressing her cheek. With the sweetest voice he could pull, he prattled on, "You said I was the dumbest guy of the school. Now I'm telling you that you are the dumbest girl of the school. I love Lily as a friend. I've known her since I was a child, so of course I'm fond of her; even more when she was the only person to show me affection during my whole life. But I don't feel for her what I feel for you. I meant what I said in the Room of Requirement. I love you, Maria. I'm falling in love with you more and more every day. You won't lose me. You actually have me wrapped around your finger and you managed to do that in only a week."

She smiled sadly at him and told him, "That's what you think… I believed you back in the room, but I know better, now that you are friends once again. In the future, you had a doe as a patronus, the same as Lily's. Do you know what that means? It means your love for her was genuine and pure; something very rare. It is not something to forget."

"The Severus Snape from the future isn't me. He never knew you… Need I remind you the stupid mistake I nearly committed because of what I feel for you? I was willing to join the Death Eaters just to keep you safe from them, for Merlin's sake! I only did that so that I wouldn't lose you!" he tried to reason with her.

"Severus, please. Don't make it more complicated, OK? W-we are friends. Let's leave it at that."

She made to leave, but Severus wasn't about to let her go that easily, so before she could do so, he grabbed her face and guided her towards him, crushing their lips. Maria tried to pull away and kept pushing and hitting his chest to break the contact, but he was too strong for her. Despite the complaints of her mind, Maria ended up resting her hands on his chest, relaxing and kissing him back with as much passion as their first kiss. She let out a soft moan as Severus's tongue battled against her and pulled her even closer to him. Maria couldn't get enough of it and Severus could feel his heart beating fast. Ruiz moved her hands and put her arms around his neck. Her breasts were pressing against his chest now, and it was Snape's turn to whimper.

When they parted, Maria tried to look away and distance herself once again, but what Severus said, made her stare at his black eyes, "I don't kiss my friends like that… Do you? Because then I'll probably get jealous…"

His tone was playful and teasing but Maria didn't giggle nor look convinced.

"Maria Ruiz, I am in love with you. How many times do I have to tell you for you to believe me? You are the most beautiful girl I've seen. You stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe; you always encourage me and the people around you; you aren't afraid to give second chances. You are compassionate, sarcastic, sweet, affectionate, fierce, smart, forgiving, driven, helpful… The list could go on and on, but we'd still be here by dinner time and I don't want to bore you to death."

Maria wasn't doubtful anymore after the confession. She chuckled and hugged him tight, snuggling her nose in the crook of his neck. They stood like that for a few seconds before Maria pulled away with a bright smile on her face.

"I don't kiss my friends like that either, don't worry…" she assured him, barely containing a laugh.

"That's the cheerful Maria I know and love," he whispered tenderly.

"We really are the dumbest couple at Hogwarts, aren't we?" she said with an arched eyebrow.

Severus chuckled and couldn't resist but give her a peck on the lips. Maria kept on smiling at him with a spark in her eyes which made them look a little greener.

"You know, you've changed…" she observed.

"In what sense?"

"A few days ago you were embarrassed to hug me, yet today we have already kissed three times, plus two pecks," she teased.

Severus chuckled and shook his head. "You already got me to say I enjoy your hugs… Now you want me to admit I like your kisses? This is going too far…"

"You don't seem to be able to put your lips away from mine, Severus," she murmured in a seductive tone as she grinned mischievously.

"I don't see you complaining… Maybe you like my kisses even more than I do yours," he teased back.

"Severus Snape, you have just admitted you DO like to kiss me…" she kept playing.

"I did no such thing… It's just your imagination," he pretended.

"Yeah, right."

Maria rolled her eyes. The witch smiled slyly for a second. Then, she traced patterns on his cheek with her finger and descended to his lips. She stroked them and started to lean in, painfully slowly. Severus shut his eyes in anticipation. He could feel her hot breath, their lips practically grazing when Maria stepped back brusquely.

Snape groaned in frustration while Maria yelped, "Caught you! You were dying to kiss me just now! Your face tells everything."

"Why do you have to be so… So…" he trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Slytherin?" she proposed.

"Yes."

"Ask the sorting hat…" she joshed with a smirk.

He stared at her brown eyes and got close her, making her step back until her back hit a wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting another bloody kiss," he said straightforwardly as he pressed his lips against hers.

She smiled throughout the kiss, which was sweet and too short for their liking. When he pulled away, she requested, "Be my boyfriend…"

Snape's eyes widened in shock. Maria waited patiently until Severus raised an eyebrow and mumbled, "Isn't the guy supposed to ask this kind of things?"

Maria stopped grinning and angrily contradicted, her jaw clenched, "Severus Snape. I am not only a slytherin girl, but a feminist at that. So I get what I want. If I want to ask you to be my boyfr- * _Severus leaned in and gave her a peck_ * boyfriend I w- * _peck_ * w-will * _peck_ * If you-* _peck_ * believe that- * _peck_ * Sever-* _peck_ * s-stop" * _peck_ *. This one lasted more, but Severus finally pulled away so Maria was actually able to formulate a complete sentence. "These kisses don't distract me, Severus. I-"

"I'll be your boyfriend," he agreed, interrupting her.

Maria smiled brightly and gave him another peck.

"We should get going then, _boyfriend._ "

As they turned around, they found themselves face to face with Lily Evans. She looked stunned.

"So you two are together…"

Their cheeks flushed but they didn't comment. Lily looked at Maria and assured, "Just so you know, I think Severus does really love you, Maria. There was nothing but friendship between us and I have James. For the way you kiss, you shouldn't be afraid of losing him."

Black and brown eyes widened and Snape couldn't help but ask, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to see that you two are hopelessly in love with each other. Imagine my surprise. I was bloody worried about you, Maria, just to find you two lovebirds like that," she claimed, making them blush even more.

There was an awkward silence which the red-haired broke, changing the topic. Her expression sobered as she inquired in a low voice, "What was that about a Severus Snape of the future? What were you talking about? Did you want to join the Death Eaters to keep her safe, Sev? It makes no sense."

Maria bit her lip and Severus squeezed her hand. They felt as two little kids who had been caught disobeying their parents and doing that one thing that they should never do. There was only one thing they were sure of: today should be called Revelation's Day.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

When Maria Ruiz woke up that day, she had not imagined that the day would turn out to be so emotionally intense. First, she found out that Severus and Regulus were going to be Death Eaters. Then, she and Severus argued about it, which ended up with Severus confessing his feelings for her and Maria kissing him. After that, the marauders tried to interrogate her, plus Severus and Lily's reconciliation took place. And if that hadn't been enough, Severus became her first boyfriend (and hopefully the last one too). So yes, Maria wasn't expecting any of these things to happen when she woke up. But the day hadn't finished yet, and now Lily had just asked them about the future thing and about Severus becoming a Death Eater. That's just what Maria needed to add to the list so that she could officially include this day to the Guinness Records book of the year as 'the most dramatic day of a teenager's life'.

"Well?" said Lily in an impatient voice.

Severus took the Spanish girl's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Lily, I know we are friends again, and that this sounds really bad, but I'm not going to reveal anything without Maria's consent. You just have to know that we are not betraying your trust and that we are doing something good…"

Maria smiled at Severus words and squeezed his hand back. It meant a lot to her that he would do something like this for her, that he was willing to hide information to his friend because of her. The gryffindor didn't look convinced though.

"Severus, I have just heard that you are going to become a Death Eater. That was the real reason why we stopped being friends and now that we are on good terms, the peace doesn't even last a few minutes? How do you expect me to take it in?" she shouted.

Maria bit her lip and whispered in Severus's ear, "Maybe we should tell her…"

"What?!"

"Think about it! She's smart and she's on Dumbledore's good side. She can help us. But more importantly, she is _our_ friend. We cannot let her think that you really want to be like Mulciber. The way I see it, we can do two things: obliviate her or confess our secrets, as if we don't answer her questions, she'll tell the marauders about it and it'll be worse. I'm not going to obliviate her, Severus. That is not an option. I don't want you to lose her again. We must trust her."

"Are you sure?"

"Totally."

Snape nodded and charmed the room so that nobody else could eavesdrop while the girl murmured, "We are going to answer you, but first, you have to swear this won't leave this room. If you weren't our friend, I wouldn't have hesitated and I would have obliviated you. But I can't do that, not to you. So please, understand that it is necessary for me that you swear not to tell anything." Lily was starting to get scared. "Nobody else can know about it, like the fact that my parents are muggles. It's for the best. Please, we are going to trust you with something really important, confide in us too and promise you won't even tell your boyfriend… Please."

Lily wasn't sure of it, but when she saw the fearful look on the brown-haired girl, she knew that she had to agree, so she found herself nodding and muttering, "I swear I won't tell anybody about this."

"Thanks," Maria said relieved.

"Maybe we should all sit down…" suggested Severuns.

They sat making a kind of circle, so that everyone could look at each other's faces. Maria bit her lip in nervousness and Severus reached for her hand. At the contact, the girl turned to him and offered a tiny smile, even though she was still edgy. Snape noticed it and took the lead.

"What do you want to know first, Lily?"

"The Death Eater thing. Why are you going to become one?" she questioned, trying to hide the disappointment and the hint of anger, although failing miserably at it.

Severus cringed at the accusation. Maria squeezed his hand, as if to encourage him. Sighing, the slytherin boy started to talk, "Mulciber, Avery and Rosier threatened me…"

When he said this, Lily's green eyes softened. "They threatened you?"

He shook his head. "Well, not me exactly… They told me that they wouldn't leave Maria alone, that they would really hurt her, unless I joined them. I-I couldn't let that happen. I was afraid. I still am. So I did what I thought was necessary in order to keep her safe… I didn't want to take risks with her, I can't lose her."

Lily didn't look angry anymore, just sad and confused. "Why do they target you? Do you think they know you are a muggleborn?"

Maria shrugged.

"I doubt it. I'm a filthy halfblood for them, a halfblood who is okay with having gryffindor friends, or at least, that's what they say. They don't like that, but my guess is that they really want Severus to be one of them, and I am an impediment, an obstacle... That's what they can't stand about me."

The red-haired girl look thoughtful for a moment. "I know you told us that you remembered nothing, but I think they were the ones who sent you to the Hospital Wing, Maria. It makes sense. Who else would do something like that?"

Maria smiled sadly and admitted, "I lied to you. I know they were the responsible ones. I remember it every night…"

Lily looked horrified at the confession. "Why don't you tell Dumbledore then? He could expel them!"

Maria bit her lip and muttered, "You'll understand it later…"

Lily shook her head and added, "OK. And why don't you ask for Dumbledore's help, Sev? You don't have to become a Death Eater. The headmaster can help you."

"We were going to do just that, but you and your friends got in our way," Severus tried to use a soft voice, but it came out as a snarl.

"Since when do you know it, Maria?"

"That Severus was going to make a terrible mistake? Since this morning. You don't know how betrayed, sad, furious and mad I felt when I found out… That's why I avoided him at first. I needed to think. And that's why we went to that room, so that we could talk about it…"

"And you forgave him…"

"How could I not? Was he in the wrong path? Yes. Did he do what he thought was right at the moment? Yes! And when he told me the reason why he did it, I-" she trailed off with teary eyes. "I was so overwhelmed. I'm still overwhelmed… Knowing that there is someone who is willing to screw up his life just so that you can be safe is shocking. It made me feel angry and happy at the same time."

Lily looked at her with compassion. She was starting to see just how hard her day had been even before herself and the marauders came to make it all worse… Severus tried to lighten up the mood and joked, "So that's why I got a slap and a kiss."

Lily started to laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation and Maria looked at him with a spark in her eyes, "I actually slapped you before knowing the reason… I'm sorry about it."

He shrugged and stared at her brown eyes with some green dots. "The slap was what made me confess everything, so I'm not sorry. It made me gain a kiss by the end."

"Oh, please, Severus! Lily doesn't have to know so many details! I think she has already seen enough…" she exclaimed a little ashamed.

Severus had been so lost in her eyes that he had forgotten the Gryffindor was in the room with them until Maria mentioned her. Lily had noticed it and it made her chuckle.

"You two are actually too cute!" Lily couldn't help but add.

"I'm not cute! Maria, maybe. But not me!"

"Hey! I'm not cute either!" she whined, but she was barely containing a giggle.

Lily kept chuckling and soon the three of them were laughing. It felt nice to laugh like that, to let go. When their laughs subsided, Lily's expression turned to confusion and she questioned, "OK. So you are going to talk to Dumbledore about it. That's good. But you also said something about the future? A Severus from the future… What did you mean?"

Maria felt tense once again and, as usual, she bit her bottom lip.

"Look, there isn't a good way to say this, so I'll be direct…"

When Lily nodded, the slytherin admitted, "I was born January the 2nd, 1999."

Lily looked at her as if she had grown two heads. She took a big breath and said, "I appreciate your attempt to lighten up the mood, but please, now answer my previous questions."

"But it's true! I come from the future! It was 2016!"

Lily had wide eyes and turned to Severus. She clearly hadn't expected something like this. "You don't buy it, do you? This is a joke, right?"

He shrugged. "She's telling the truth. I've seen it…"

His response made her frown. "Seen it?"

"I used legilimency…"

"Have you all gone mad?" she yelped. "It's impossible to travel back in time like that! Time-turners don't go back so many years! This is insane."

"She didn't use any time turner, Lily."

"You really believe it?" she asked incredously.

Maria rolled her eyes and with sarcasm in her voice, she mumbled, "Do you want to use veritaserum or something? Of course he believes me! He's seen it!"

"I-I don't know what to say… How is this possible?"

"I'm not really sure about it… All I remember is that I was walking down the seventh floor when a door appeared. I entered and then, next thing I know, he found me."

"What?" wondered Lily, getting more disconcerted as the time went by.

Severus answered her, "That room that disappears is called the Call and Go Room or the Room of Requirement. It gives you what you need. The day of the sorting ceremony I went there, and she was lying on the ground, as if asleep… We were both surprised, Lily. She thought I was lying to her and viceversa."

"Yes… Until it clicked and I asked you to use legilimency on me."

"This is too much," Lily breathed out.

There was an awkward silence, which the green-eyed girl broke with another question, "But if you come from the future, it means you know what will happen?"

"Yes…"

"The war…" she whispered.

"A lot of people suffered. There were so many deaths…" she trailed off and took a big breath. "You were right in accusing us of planning something in that room… It's where we talk and plan how to avoid as many deaths as possible. I know how to prevent it and Severus is helping me. Do you understand now why I asked you not to tell anybody?"

It was Lily's turn to feel overwhelmed. Maria transfigured a glass of water and uttered the incantation of _aguamenti_. She offered it to Lily, who gladly drank from it.

"This is too much… And my guess is that Dumbledore doesn't know either, does he?"

Snape snapped, "The old twat can't know! He'll only use us! We've been doing just fine alone… The question is, now that you know, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to help us defeat You-know-who?"

Lily was too shocked to say anything.

"You don't have to tell us now, Lily. Just please, remember you swore not to tell anything we discussed."

"I gave you my word…" she reassured with a nod. "I'm helping you."

Maria was a little worried about it. "Are you sure? You don't have to… It can be dangerous and-"

"We are friends. I'm not leaving you two alone."

Severus and Maria smiled at the girl, and Maria couldn't help but throw her arms around her and hug her. Lily hugged her back, also smiling. When they broke the embrace, Maria requested, "I'm just going to ask you to, please, wait until tomorrow for more information. We'll tell you about our progress then… I don't want to overwhelm you more."

"Sure, but there is still something I don't understand… Why didn't you tell us that Mulciber cursed you? Why doesn't Dumbledore know?"

Maria sighed and justified her actions, "If I had told Dumbledore, he would have expelled them. Then their parents might have been involved. They look like they are people with contacts. What if they found out there's nothing about me? It'd be suspicious, and if Dumbledore knew, I'd be doomed. My secret would be out… And of course, if I told you I remember Mulciber, Rosier and Avery attacking me, you'd have told the headmaster straightaway."

Lily seemed to understand it. "It makes sense… You really are a cunning slytherin."

The gryffindor hadn't said it with malice, but with admiration. It made Maria smile and cry out, "Yes, and a proud one at that!"

Lily giggled and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Maria wondered.

"You come from the future…"

"I thought we already stated that," Severus said, rolling his eyes. Maria prodded him in the ribs playfully.

"Yes? What is it?" asked the slytherin girl, ignoring the fake pout her boyfriend was pulling.

"How is the world like?" Lily asked with curiosity.

Snape also looked interested. After all, he had seen many things he didn't understand.

Maria was silent a few seconds and replied, "It's a mess, just like 1977. One would think that with the years we would learn from our mistakes, but it's not the case…"

"No! I mean the music, the cars, the TV and this kind of things! How is the world like? What are the most important inventions?"

"Er- well. I guess that the smartphone, the computer and the Internet are the greatest inventions… TV's have developed quite a lot and the music is quite different too. Oh! And cars too!" she babbled.

Her friends were listening to every word as if enchanted and instantly besieged her with questions, "The music changed in what sense?" "What the bloody hell is the Internet?" "And a smartphone?" "How has the TV changed?" "And what about the cars?"

"Er-You know what? It's too long to explain now. And I'm tired. No, not tired: _exhausted_. So, I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait…"

Lily made a disappointing face but mumbled, "Fine."

"I guess we should go to Dumbledore now…" Snape suggested.

Maria rubbed her temples in frustration.

"I don't know if it's the best moment… I feel like my head is going to explode."

"I can go alone, if you want… Just rest," he offered, concerned about her.

Maria shook her head and exclaimed with conviction, "Like hell! I'm coming with you! A little headache isn't going to stop me."

"Maybe we could go to the infirmary and ask Madam Pomfrey for a potion against headaches," Lily proposed. "The truth is that I think I also need one…"

So that's what they did. Poppy delivered them the flasks and they felt better instantaneously. When they left the Hospital Wing, Lily whispered, "James is going to worry. I'd like to accompany you two but-"

Maria smiled and assured her, "Just go with your boyfriend, Lily. We'll be fine…"

Lily smiled back and hugged her briefly. "Thanks for trusting me with this…"

Then she turned to Severus. She hesitated, but also enfolded him in her arms, "I'm glad we are friends again, Sev. I really missed you. I shouldn't have judged you."

Severus face had a tiny smile when he hugged her back a little awkwardly and replied, "It's okay, Lily. I missed you too… Thanks for forgiving me."

She broke apart and waved, saying goodbye and heading to the Gryffindor Common Room, hoping to relax once she got in. Little did she know...

"You've been with Snivellus and Maria all this time, Lily. The map doesn't lie… What's happened? Did they hurt you?" James asked when he saw his girlfriend. The marauders were behind him.

Lily stopped dead in the tracks. She hadn't thought what she'd tell any of them.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Lily felt lost. What should she do now? She would never betray Severus and Maria's trust, but she also cared a lot for the marauders. She couldn't lie to them, especially to James. Anyway, she couldn't lie if her life depended on it. She was horrible at it. So what to tell them?

"Lily? Come on, you can tell us," James insisted, snapping his girlfriend out of her thoughts.

"I-I…" she stuttered, thinking of something to say.

The marauders waited patiently for her to formulate a whole sentence. Lily sighed and admitted in defeat, "You are right, I've been with Maria and Severus, but nothing bad has happened. Actually, it's been quite the opposite."

"What do you mean?" Sirius wondered.

"I mean that Severus and I are friends again," she bluntly replied, expecting the negative reaction that was about to come.

The marauders were speechless. James seemed to be the first to recover.

"What?!" he asked astonished.

"We are friends again," she repeated in the same tone.

"Why?" Peter couldn't help but ask. "He didn't treat you well in the past, why start now?"

Lily got defensive. "He was my best friend. It's true that our friendship started to shake in fourth year and ended in the fifth, but he had been an excellent friend on our first years even before Hogwarts started. I've forgiven him, he's changed."

"Lily, listen to what you're saying. Two years ago he insulted you; it hasn't been so long since that happened. All of us know how much he fancies the Dark Arts… It's true that he seems a little different since he met Maria, but he's still dangerous," Remus tried to reason with her.

"He probably is a Death Eater, Lily! For Merlin's pants!" cried out Sirius.

When he mentioned it, she couldn't help but think that he could really be a Death Eater, but not out of choice and not for the same reasons that someone like Mulciber supported. Maria was right; he was just trying to help in his twisted way. Lily smiled sadly as she thought that Severus was really in love with the Spanish girl to be willing to do something as stupid as that, taking into account he was one of the most intelligent people she'd ever met.

"Why are you smiling?" asked Sirius. "Haven't you heard me?"

"I heard you, Sirius. He isn't a Death Eater…" she assured all of them.

James ran his hand through his messy dark hair and babbled, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand it. Has he brain-washed you like he probably did to Maria?"

"Severus did no such thing," she guaranteed them.

"How do you know?" James asked.

Lily kept silent, thinking of an answer.

"See? You can't even invent an excuse. Just forget about it, Lily. You don't owe anything to that good-for-nothing-greasy git," he said, taking her hand.

Lily pushed him away and told him with a stern voice, "I'm not making excuses. I'm telling you the truth. I was wrong about him. I should have never stopped being his friend. And I'm glad he can also rely on Maria now."

"Lily, please. Just make me understand it. How can you be so sure he hasn't tricked you?" he insisted.

"Because they've told me their secrets!" she finally exploded.

"What secrets?" wondered Sirius.

"I can't tell you Sirius, that's why they are called secrets!" she replied with the sarcasm usually used by her slytherin friends.

"You are starting to sound like him, Lily," observed Remus.

"So what?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

James gulped and whispered, "Guys, can you leave us alone?"

The three marauders did as told without complaining, even though they all looked worried.

"What's this all about, Lily? I love you. I have always loved you and I will always love you, no matter what you do. But I'm worried about you. You're scaring me…" he confessed.

Lily sighed and stroked his cheek, "You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

He shook his head. "How can I not? First, you tell me you are friends with the git again. Then, you tell me you actually believe he isn't dangerous because Maria and Snape have told you their secrets. You have to understand that when you confessed you knew their secrets, you made us all become even more suspicious. I'm sure Snape hides lots of them, but Maria? Why wouldn't she trust in us? Maybe she isn't a friend of ours… Maybe she is just Snape's."

Lily lowered her eyes.

"Look, I understand that you probably told them no one would know about the secrets. You don't have to tell Peter, Remus or Sirius. But confide in me, please. Make me understand why you suddenly trust them so much to become Snape's friend again. He called you that horrible thing!"

Lily had teary eyes when she soughed, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life." He didn't even waver.

"Then all you need to know is that they are on our side, both, Maria and Severus."

"But-"

"I can't tell you anything else. You'll have to really show you trust me, okay?"

James sighed and reluctantly nodded, "I'll try to persuade the guys so that they don't bother you with it, or Maria or… Snape either."

Lily's face lighted up and she mumbled, "I knew I fell in love with you for a good reason!"

James leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

* * *

When the couple of slytherins found themselves in front of Dumbledore's office, the thin boy asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? I can talk to him alone…"

Maria rolled her eyes. "I haven't drunk that disgusting potion against headaches so that you face him all alone Severus… We are in this together."

"I'm just saying that if you feel overwhelmed you can rest. It's been a long and intense day; if you need a break will understand it," he insisted.

" _Por el amor de Dios_ , Severus! Stop worrying about me! I'm fine! It's been a long day for you too… You are not doing this alone," she told him, leaving no room for discussion. [ _Por el amor de Dios = For God's sake_ ]

Before he could differ, Maria had already knocked. They waited a few seconds that felt like hours and finally, the headmaster opened the door and looked at them through his glasses.

"Mr. Snape, Miss Ruiz, what a lovely surprise! Come in!"

Maria and Severus obeyed.

"Take a seat, please!"

"I'd rather stand," Severus blurted out in a cutting manner. If Maria chose to sit, she'd be closer to Dumbledore and further from Severus. She needed to feel that her boyfriend was next to her for what was about to happen, so she babbled, "Thank you, sir, but I'd rather stand too."

"As you wish. Excuse me if it seems impolite, but I'll sit anyway. My bones aren't as young as yours…"

"Of course, sir," Maria replied with a soft smile. "We understand it."

"Thank you, child. What can I do for you two?"

Maria and Severus looked at each other and the girl eventually muffed, "We need your help, sir. We are in a mess."

When he saw the fear in her chocolate eyes, Dumbledore got serious and asked, "What kind of mess, exactly, Miss Ruiz?"

"W-Well, I-I…" Maria trailed off.

Seeing this, Severus intervened and bluntly confessed, "I'm about to become a Death Eater."

Albus kept a stoic expression, but in his eyes, Maria could see hints of disappointment and anger. Before the old man could comment, the Spanish girl cried out, "It's my fault sir! Don't expel him!"

"It's not your freaking fault, Maria! I'm the one who agreed!" contradicted Severus.

"You would have never done so if I hadn't defended myself against Rosier in the first place!"

"Are you mad?! What did you have to do then? Let him keep talking trash?!"

"No but-"

"It's not your bloody fault, Maria!" he repeated sternly. "If anyone is guilty here it's me."

Dumbledore had observed their little interaction with interest, but cut them off by saying, "Right now I don't care who is guilty. If you've come here asking for my help, then you really don't want to join them, Mr. Snape. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then you won't mind telling me why you said you were about to become one."

Maria was about to intervene, but Snape's voice silenced her.

"Mulciber, Avery and Rosier threatened me. They told me that they would hurt Maria if I didn't join them. I couldn't let that happen, so I accepted. I still haven't received the mark, though."

The old wizard pondered what the young man had just confessed. Mulciber, Avery and Rosier. The same guys Severus had implied were the responsible ones of Maria's attack. He had told him that they had had a blood-status related fight, and it may have begun with Rosier, for the way the two teenagers have just discussed. These three slytherins had threatened Maria's safety, so they clearly were the suspects of Maria's curse in the first place. And Severus knew it. Why else would he act so scared and irrational? It made sense.

"Miss Ruiz, don't you really remember who attacked you? For what Mr. Snape has just expressed, it seems to be evident that they are responsible…"

Maria kept an emotionless face and misled, "I still don't recall anything, I'm sorry, sir."

"You're lying."

Maria tried to keep her mask on, but her breathing was starting to accelerate.

"I always knew you were lying, Miss Ruiz. I don't understand the reason why, but they'll be expelled."

"You can't do it unless I admit it and I haven't," she replied, trying to pull out a calm voice, even though it came out high-pitched, as a clear sign of nervousness.

Dumbledore knew she was right. Unless he got her to say the words out loud, he couldn't do what he just claimed. Taking care of the matter in hands, he kept talking, "You did well in telling me about this, Mr. Snape. I'll do whatever it is in my hands so that you don't have to join them. You have my word. Yet, I must require that you don't leave Hogwarts grounds under any circumstance. Hogwarts is the safest place of the world, but I can't guarantee your safety outside."

Maria nearly snorted when he said that Hogwarts was safe. She nearly died there! She put that thought away and thanked the headmaster in all honesty.

"You're welcome, child."

"There is something else you should know. I'm not the only one who was about to be a Death Eater," informed Severus.

"Another student will be marked soon: Regulus Black. Severus and Regulus are getting the mark on the same day. You have to help him too, please," Maria added.

"Do you know his reason for joining the Death Eaters?"

Severus shook his head and Maria tried to remember their conversation. Softly, she mumbled, "He assured me he had no choice and that I couldn't help him, no matter what I did. He said that I should focus on Severus. When I asked him whether he would have joined them if he really had a choice, he told me he didn't know… But that tells me enough to know that he doesn't actually want to join them. Mulciber wouldn't have hesitated, but Regulus did. I believe he is trapped. Please, help him out!"

During her speech, Severus realized that it was through Regulus that Maria had found out about him becoming a Death Eater. It nearly sounded as if Regulus had tried to save him admitting the truth to Maria.

"I'll see what I can do, Miss Ruiz. Thank you for telling me. Now, though, I have to ask Mr. Snape to leave the room. I must talk to you alone."

Maria's heartbeat sped up. She was sure he was going to pressure her into telling the truth about the curse. The man must have noticed that she and Severus were quite close, so he wanted to separate them to make her feel more vulnerable. She wasn't about to let that happen.

"Everything you want to tell me, Severus can hear it too. I will tell him anyway, sir, he's my best friend."

The girl had some nerve addressing him in such manner, Dumbledore noticed.

"As you wish, Miss Ruiz. I wanted to ask you why you keep lying to me…"

"If you want me to confess what I think you want me to, then I'm sorry, but I won't grant your wishes, sir."

"I'm just doing what I think is best for you, child," assured Albus.

"No offense, sir, but I can take care of myself and I know when to ask for help, that's why we are here. Right now, if you are going to help Severus and Regulus, that will be enough. You don't know how relieved and grateful I am to count on someone like you for this, but please, stop pressuring me to say something I'll not say."

"At least tell me why you keep lying about something like that, Maria."

Maria kept quiet and tried to ignore his demand, but her eyes were starting to get tearful because of the stress she was feeling at the moment. Severus was starting to get worried. He didn't want to spend another minute in that office.

"I can't use veritaserum on you, Maria. But there are other methods… Don't make me use them."

Maria and Severus thought at the same time that he was probably talking about legilimancy. Maria was scared, so she decided to give him an answer, even if it wasn't either complete nor what he was expecting, "I'm protecting myself, professor. It's for the best."

Before Albus could question her any further, Severus had grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the office, leaving the a speechless headmaster behind. They went into an empty corridor and hid behind a corner.

Severus tenderly caressed her cheek as he stared at her brown eyes. They were still tearful, but the tears hadn't fallen down her face yet.

"You shouldn't have come with me…" he sighed.

Maria shrugged. "He said he always knew I had lied. If it hadn't been today, this conversation would have taken place soon anyway. And I'm sure he would have talked to me alone. It could have been worse…"

"I know he really can help us both, Regulus and I, but it doesn't mean I like the man…"

Maria shook her head. "Put yourself in his shoes. He is the headmaster; he must look after all his students. What would you do if a student nearly died and then denied remembering a single detail when you could notice that student was hiding the truth?"

Snape saw the logic behind her words, but he still didn't like it.

"He threatened you. It was obvious he was about to use legilimancy, Maria."

"I know. I'm afraid…" she admitted in a trembling voice.

"I'm teaching you Occlumency," Severus muttered as an ultimatum and staring at her brown eyes with determination.

"What?"

"I'll teach you. Think about it, you'll be able to hide your secrets. No one would know and you'll be safe…"

Maria shook her head in disbelief. "You are an occlumens already?"

"Well, yes."

"How?"

"Actually, it was Mulciber the one who taught me, last year."

She snorted, "The idiot who tried to kill me has just given me the weapon to help me defeat him and all of his crew… Ironic."

Severus chuckled, "That's life."

Ruiz smiled and stared at his dark orbs. She loved his eyes. She could feel herself getting lost in his profound black depths. She shook her head, snapping out of her daze and said, "It's dinner time already… That's why there aren't any people in the corridors…"

"We should get going too. It's been a long day…" Severus babbled.

Maria smirked slyly. "Yes, but before heading to the Great Hall there is something I must do…"

He raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"This…" she breathed out. Without letting him time to process it, she tiptoed and brought his head close to hers, pressing their lips together. Severus gasped in surprise and Maria smiled briefly against his lips, but recovered quickly and kissed him once again. Just when Severus was starting to relax and kiss her back, she pulled away, biting her bottom lip.

"Come on, let's go…"

* * *

When they finished eating, Maria muttered under her breath, _"¡_ _Mierda_ _!"_ [mierda = shit]

Severus raised an eyebrow and teased with a smirk on his face, "You know, Maria, for being a _Spanish princess_ you sure use a lot of swearwords… "

"Oh, shut up! I have just remembered that we have done absolutely nothing this afternoon…"

"If you call to today's afternoon, doing _absolutely nothing,_ then I don't want to imagine what would have happened if we actually did something…" Snape joked.

"No! I meant that we have completely forgotten about homework! We have a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay and an Alchemy one too! Have you started them?"

He cursed inside and shook his head.

"Me neither. Come on, we have to write them!"

Maria had already stood up and hurried to the Common Room with Severus close behind her. They soon found themselves in front of a blank parchment. Maria groaned in stress. She kept fidgeting and rubbing her temples.

"There's no way we'll get this done… Goodbye to sleep time. Unless…"

"Unless what?" asked Severus.

"I never do this kind of things. I don't like cheating, but this is an emergency. Please, let's distribute the tasks. You do one essay and I'll do the other. Then, we just copy the one we have left with some changes so that the Professors don't notice a thing and _voilà_ , we actually get some hours of sleep. Please Severus, be my saviour. Today has been overwhelming. If I don't get some sleep I will be a zombie tomorrow! And so will you... Come on, do it for me!" she was pleading and Severus couldn't deny her anything, especially when she looked at him with her big brown puppy eyes, so he nodded.

Maria beamed and gave him a peck, without even thinking about it.

"Yes! ¡ _Gracias, gracias, gracias_! Er- I mean, thank you!" she corrected herself. "I'll owe you…"

Snape shook his head. "You are also helping me, Maria. You don't owe me anything. We are doing this because we really care about grades and school and today we cannot do anything else… A Gryffindor would have copied word by word somebody else's essays or tried to finish them off and fallen asleep on the intent, a Hufflepuff would have succeeded but got no sleep, and a Ravenclaw would have gone to sleep without giving it a second thought, unless the essay was something he or she really enjoyed. But we are Slytherins. As long as we don't get caught, it isn't cheating. We are just helping each other out."

Maria smiled at him. "I'm so glad I'm a slytherin… What are you better at: Defense Against the Dark Arts or Alchemy? Wait, why am I even asking? You take the DADA one and I'll take care of Alchemy."

Snape chuckled at Maria's ramble and on impulse, kissed her forehead. Maria narrowed her eyes and warned, "Severus Snape, get to work. I'm getting this done as soon as possible, so no more kisses until tomorrow. Did I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good."

Maria didn't trust either, him nor her, so she distanced herself as much as possible from her boyfriend and got to work. They finished their homework by one a.m., so they went to sleep. They knew that if they hadn't distributed the tasks, they would have been awake at least for two more hours, and after the events of the day, both of them really needed the rest.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Maria Ruiz woke up too soon for her liking. She felt like she hadn't had any rest, despite the little cheating she and Severus had pulled out last nigh. She yawned and took a shower. When she got out, Lucinda and Bryony were already up too. They had confused faces which made the brown-haired girl snap, "What?"

"Why did you stay so late doing the homework assignments?" wondered Bryony.

Maria shrugged and quickly gave a half-truth half-lie, "They were long and difficult."

"Yes, but you usually do homework right after the classes finish and manage to do them in short time…" Lucinda observed.

"Besides," added the other slytherin girl, "you were with Severus. Did you resolve your misunderstandings then? Yesterday morning you were avoiding him…"

"When the classes were over Severus and I had a talk… Let's just say that it ended up being longer than I expected. That's why I had to start the essays after dinner," she simply responded.

"So everything's fine with him?" Bryony asked just to make sure.

Maria smiled and guaranteed, "Absolutely! It's better than fine! I told you we would work it out…"

Lucinda raised an eyebrow suspiciously and inquired, "What do you mean better than fine? Did something else happen?"

Maria debated telling them that Snape was now her boyfriend. They hadn't discussed that topic. Should other people know? Would it be good for them? Should they keep it a secret instead? True, Lily knew, but they trusted her. The Spanish girl bit her bottom lip and clarified, "I just meant that we really sorted everything out and that he's become my best friend at school."

Bryony and Lucinda nodded with a little grin plastered on their faces.

"I'm happy for you two," confessed Bryony.

"Yes, Severus seems happier since you are here," Lucinda agreed.

* * *

Maria and Severus spent a relaxed day after the other day's events and for that they were thankful. They attended classes and Lily joined them from time to time. Both slytherins noticed that the marauders sometimes stared at them worriedly, especially Potter; but the green-eyed girl assured them that everything was fine. Once their last class reached its end, Lily wanted to catch up on Ruiz and Snape's task to avoid the war, so she asked them about it. However, Maria insisted in doing their homework first and talking about it later. She didn't fancy another sleepless and stressed night. Lily was a little disappointed at first, although she gave in. Gratefully, today's assignments were considerably simple and short, so after only two hours they were free of school work. They walked down the corridors and entered an empty room, muttering silencing charms so that nobody who passed by could eavesdrop.

"So what have you been doing to avoid the deaths?" Lily inquired, really curious to know what they had planned out.

Severus's silky voice resonated across the room as he explained, "It's been a week, so we have only been able to research on horcruxes and ways to destroy them."

When he saw the expression of confusion in Lily's features, Snape told her, before she could ask the question out loud, "Horcruxes are objects which permit He-who-must-not-be-named achieve immortality through putting in them a piece of his soul. Once these objects get totally destroyed, he will be a simple mortal. That's the first step to end the war and the task we must focus on. The ways to end up with them are either, burning them down through a spell we still don't know of or with basilisk's venom. There are different horcruxes we are aware of. First there's Slytherin's Locket, which is located somewhere in a cave. Second, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, which is in Gaunt's shack. Third, Hufflepuff's Cup, which can be found in a Death Eater's vault from Gringotts. Fourth, Ravenclaw's Diadem, which is in a room called the _Room of Hidden Things_. The last horcrux is Tom Riddle's Diary, probably in hands of the Malfoys. All these destinations may be wrong, since these are where they were found in the future, but it's all we have."

"Wait a minute; this is too much information to take in…" Lily exclaimed. She rubbed her temples and stared at them, trying to let it all sink in.

"So let me get this straight… If we destroy these horcruxes, You-know-who will be mortal, right?"

Maria and Severus gave a nod.

"Right. And we have to destroy them with basilisk's venom or with fire…"

"Yes, but we don't know the correct spell yet. It's not likely that a simple _incendio_ will do the trick. And we also don't know how to get basilisk's venom yet," Maria said in a business-like tone.

"OK. And all these places you've told me about can be wrong because of the time thing…"

"Exactly. They may or may not be there," Severus repeated in a serious voice.

"And do you already know where these places are? Because I don't know where the Gaunts live… And don't get me started with the caves! It could be anywhere!" the red-haired cried out in desperation.

"We're aware of it. That's why we have to look for information about these places and about these people. Severus told me he knows the Malfoys, so maybe we can get the Diary first."

"Wait, everybody knows the Malfoys… But we cannot go to him and say: _hi Lucius, have you seen a diary which contains a piece of You-know-who's soul? You see… We have to destroy it, so we'd really appreciate it if you gave it to us…_ It's not that simple."

"Of course not! But the Malfoys like to show their power to the rest of the world. They enjoy hosting balls… If we somehow managed to sneak in one of these we could try to find it. Think about it, if the Malfoys had an object which You-know-who gave them, they'd take care of it and they'd have it close to their eyes. It should be in their mansion," argued Severus.

"It could work. When do they hold one of these balls and how do we sneak into one?" Maria wondered.

Severus shook his head. "I don't know yet. Every year they hold a Christmas Ball… Lucius invited me last year, but I didn't attend it. This year I will accept though, and if he doesn't offer me an invitation, we'll think of something. Also, it is likely that they celebrate a Halloween feast…"

The witches nodded and the ginger girl mumbled, "Sounds like a plan, but Christmas is too far away in time… Besides, you don't look sure about Halloween."

They fell silent, pondering the situation, until the girl with glasses gave a suggestion, "What if we researched on the Gaunts or the Room of the Hidden Things? It seems the easiest thing to do right now… We could go to the library and start straightaway."

They didn't offer a better proposition, so the three teenagers spent the afternoon looking through newspapers and books in search of the mysterious room and the Gaunt family. Time seemed to pass by without any progress, until Lily shouted triumphantly, "Guys! I found something!"

The librarian, who looked annoyed for the screams, demanded silence. Thegirl with the auburn hair mumbled an apology while the two snakes hurried to her side. She didn't waste more time and whispered so that the woman didn't make them out of the library, "This is a book which gathers information of pure-blood families. According to it, the Gaunts were descendants of the Slytherin and the Peverell lines. Here's the family tree, it stops in Merope and Morfin Gaunt, but look at their father."

She pointed it and Maria gasped, while Severus smirked satisfied and murmured in a low voice, "Marvolo Gaunt."

"Of course, this book is from 1937, so the family tree isn't updated. However, I'm sure that it's the key to our answers, or at least, part of them…"

"We are starting to actually progress… Thank you, Lily," Maria remarked barely holding back her excitement.

"The library is closing. It's dinner time!" the librarian screeched while she made everyone leave the place.

"Tomorrow we have to come here again and keep on investigating…" instructed Maria. Severus and Lily agreed as they went to the Great Hall.

* * *

Once dinner time was over, Severus ordered Maria to follow him. She stared at him suspiciously, but did as she was told nonetheless. Once they were out of sight and ears of the students, Maria wondered, "Where are we going?"

"Seventh floor."

The slytherin girl instantly knew he was referring to the Come and Go Room. They hurried and when they came in, they found themselves in their usual flowering field.

"What is it? Why did you want to come here?" asked Maria.

Severus stared at her chocolate eyes and with a stern voice, he answered, "I was serious when I told you I would teach you Occlumency. We are starting now".

Maria's eyes widened and she babbled, "Right now?"

"Is there any problem?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

She hadn't expected to begin the lessons so soon. However, she shook her head and tried to appear calm. Severus could read her well though, so he knew she was nervous the moment she bit her bottom lip, despite her tranquil exterior.

"Why are you nervous? Don't you trust me?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course I trust you! But learning Occlumency scares me a little…"

Snape sighed and reassured her, "If you tell me you want to stop I'll obey you, OK? The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable, but you really need to acquire the skill."

She gulped and bravely demanded, "Tell me how it works."

In a methodical way, he explained, "You need to clear your mind. The legilimens needs to find a blank wall free of any thoughts or emotions when he attempts to read you."

Maria nodded in understanding and Severus felt encouraged by this.

"Alright, I'll use legilimency on you and you'll try to stop me, okay? Remember, empty your mind. To the count of three… 1, 2, 3. Legilimens!"

Severus saw a little brown-eyed and brown-haired girl who appeared to be around six years old playing in the swimming pool of a little garden with a boy who seemed to be around three or four. Severus could immediately identify her: it was Maria. The boy resembled her in his features except for the blond hair and the big blue eyes. The girl was laughing and kept on splashing the boy while he tried to cover himself and kept on splashing her too. Then, images changed, even though Maria seemed to be of the same age. She had just woken up, yet she had a gaze full of energy and vitality. She immediately hopped out of bed and ran to the living room. There, there was a Christmas tree surrounded by lots of presents. Beaming and jumping out of excitement, she woke up the boy from the previous flash and an adult blonde woman. Maria was babbling fast and in a high-pitched voice in her native language, so Severus didn't understand a thing, but there was no need to. He could see the glim and the delight in her eyes. In that moment, he pulled out of her mind.

Maria hissed in pain and put her fingers in her temples. Alarmed, Snape cried out, "Are you alright?"

Maria nodded and assured, "I'm sorry. I couldn't seem to let you out… Let's try again."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"OK then. Prepare yourself. 1, 2, 3. Legilimens."

Severus saw Maria once again, but she had grown up a little. She appeared to be about nine years old and was dressed in a fancy white dress. She was in a room full of people, dancing with a little girl who seemed to be about four and resembled her. Instead of having dark brown hair, a snub nose and pale skin like Maria did though; the little one had light brown hair, a turned-up nose and tanned skin. Everything else was practically identical. The blond boy from before was running behind them. These images vanished and now, Severus saw her once again playing with the boy in a park. In that moment, he felt a tiny resistance, but it only lasted for a few seconds, and it was very easy to break through it.

He stopped using legilimency and Maria tried to mask a hiss of pain again.

"Maria! What's wrong?" asked Severus with a worried tone.

Maria shook her head and replied, "Every time I try to empty my mind my head hurts… I guess I'm using the wrong approach… How do you do it? How do you free your mind from any thought and emotion?"

Severus frowned and gave it some thought. Then, he started to explain, "Closing my mind comes easy to me… I don't know how I do it, I just do."

She sighed.

"It's like I cannot control my mind… It keeps thinking and feeling. The harder I try, the more it hurts."

"My guess is that you feel pain because you're not used to it yet. It's just our first lesson, Maria. Don't worry, you certainly have the discipline and concentration required for it, so you'll succeed. In fact, I felt you trying to put a wall this last time. It was really weak, but it was there. Most people don't get this far until a few lessons have gone by."

Maria smiled at her tiny achievement and nodded.

"Again," she said with a smile.

* * *

They spent half an hour in the Room of Requirement, practicing occlumency. Maria hadn't progressed much, but the simple fact that on their first lesson she had been able to build up a tiny wall was really promising. On their way to the Slytherin Common Room, Severus asked, "Do you still have headache?"

"Not really, just a little. It's nothing I can't handle."

There was an awkward silence until Severus wondered, "Just how many siblings do you have? The memories always showed you with two children who looked awfully a lot to you, a boy and a girl."

Maria frowned for a second. A girl? She didn't have any sister… Then it clicked.

"Oh, no! I have just one brother. The girl was my little cousin!" she chuckled. "But really, we spent so much time together that it felt like she was my sister… Do you have siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child…" he answered coldly.

He hadn't meant to use that tone, but his family wasn't a topic he liked to discuss and he felt pretty uncomfortable talking about them. Maria must have noticed it, for she tried to light up the mood.

"Oh, well, at least you don't have useless fights about who ate the last cookie!" she joked as she laughed softly. Despite of it, one could detect a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"You really miss them, don't you? Your family, I mean…" Severus wondered, although it sounded more like a statement.

Who wouldn't miss that life anyway? She had obviously been a happy child.

Maria smiled sadly and answered, "I do… But I have to let go. I will never see them again. My brother will not be born until we get to the next century, and so will my cousin. My parents are about twelve years old now and they won't meet until the 90's…"

Snape could see the beginning of some tears threatening to fall down her face, so he grabbed her hand, trying to console her. He wasn't great at comforting with words. Heck! He wasn't great at comforting at all, but physical contact seemed to do the trick for Maria smiled and murmured, "I'm glad I got you… I would feel utterly alone otherwise, but you make me feel special. Thank you."

Severus didn't know how to respond to her, so he changed the topic. "You didn't wear glasses as a child…" he observed.

Maria snorted and said, "¡ _Menos mal_! I would have hated it! No, I started to see blurry two years ago… I had never worn glasses before, but my father did, and I have his eyes, so I somehow knew I would probably end up like him. And I wasn't wrong… It was a little hard at first to get used to them and, truth be told, I despised them." _[Menos mal = Thank goodness]_

"I don't know… I like your glasses," he blurted out without thinking. "Er... I mean… I…" he stammered as he felt a blush appear.

Maria raised an eyebrow and teased with a smirk on her face, "You better like them, Snape... They've become my second skin now, they are part of me, and I love them. True, they are uncomfortable, but I don't even remember how I looked before I wore them."

By the end of her sentence, they had already reached the Common Room. Maria whispered a good bye and debated kissing him, even if it was on the cheek. But there were some people in the room and she didn't fancy gossip, so she simply smiled tenderly at him and went to her dorm. Before Snape could go to sleep too, Avery came by and whispered in his ear, "The ceremony in which you will receive the Dark Mark will take place on September 30th. You will come with us, understood?"

Severus nodded and left with a bad feeling in his stomach. Tomorrow he would break the news to Maria.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Maria and Severus were walking down the corridor, ready to start Potions class, when Severus grabbed her hand and hid with her behind a corner. He had been really nervous all morning thinking about what Avery had told him last night. It was only the last class before lunch, but he couldn't hold it back anymore: he needed to tell Maria right then.

"Is something wrong? You've looked a little edgy since we woke up…" she observed.

Snape gulped and admitted, "I have to tell you something…"

Maria saw the fear in his black eyes and tensed.

"Go on…" she encouraged.

"Last night, Avery told me when the ceremony would take place," he murmured with a voice so low that Maria had to strive to hear it. The Spanish girl stayed silent and looked at him with a mix of fear and helplessness when she realized what he was implying. "I will get the mark on 30th September…"

"This month?" she whispered horrified.

"Yes. But I don't know where it will be. He only said that I will have to go with the three of them. He didn't tell me about Regulus, but we both know that if he doesn't know it already, he will do it soon."

Maria nodded gravely and with a stern voice she muttered, "We have to tell Dumbledore."

"No," Snape claimed as if it was an ultimatum.

"What?! He has to know it!"

"I agree."

"Then why did you-"

Severus didn't let her finish her sentence. He interrupted her and told her, "You won't talk to him. I will. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and I certainly don't want him to threaten you again and maybe even use legilimency on you… You're not ready yet."

"But-" she tried again.

"No buts Maria. You said it yourself; the man is just doing his job. He has to look after all the students, including us; so don't give him an excuse to question you again…"

Maria gulped and nodded, accepting that he was right. Severus sighed in relief and mumbled, "Come on, we'll be late to Slughorn's class if we don't hurry."

Luckily, the Professor entered just when Severus and Maria took a seat.

* * *

The last class reached its end.

"Go do your homework with your friends…" Severus whispered in Maria's ear while he beckoned to the marauders and Lily with his head. "I'll meet Dumbledore now. I'll look for you later, OK?"

Maria nodded and Severus didn't waste more time. He disappeared from the room. The girl with the glasses approached the five gryffindors and wondered with a timid voice which was uncharacteristic for her, "Hi guys! Do you mind if I join you? We could do our homework together…"

Lily instantly smiled and nodded, but the others had doubtful faces, especially James, who asked her boldly, "Why isn't Snape with you?"

Maria was taken aback by this, even though she kept a cool exterior, and the red-haired girl sent a warning glance to her boyfriend. Ruiz quickly made up an excuse and retorted, "I wanted to spend some time with you… Why? Should I go back to him? I thought we were friends."

It was James's turn to be stunned by her response. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but Sirius quickly guaranteed, "We are, Maria."

Sirius suddenly remembered Maria doing homework by the Black Lake, before she knew about their past with Snape and had an idea.

"Do you want to do them outside? The weather is good and there will still be light."

Maria smiled at the idea and replied, "I love being outdoors so I'd like that…" As an afterthought, she added, "If you all agree, of course."

"Of course we don't mind, Maria," Remus assured her.

So all of them went outside and started to work on their essays. The group discussed about something in particular regarding the assignments now and then. Maria noticed that Sirius always asked her his doubts with a little grin plastered on his face. She didn't mind it though for she loved explaining things and also, she could tell Sirius was really trying to make things right, so she appreciated that.

The calm atmosphere was broken when, suddenly, Sirius exclaimed, "Regulus?! What are you doing here?"

"I didn't come here for you, brother. I wanted to talk to Maria."

Regulus looked a little angry and afraid at the same time.

"You know her?" he asked bewildered. Even though Sirius had been the one to ask, the other gryffindors were also surprised.

"He was the one who found me when I was cursed… And we're from the same house, even if we are from different years," Maria babbled.

She stood up and went away with Regulus, without letting the marauders or Lily question them any farther. Once they were far enough, she wondered, "What's wrong?"

"You told Dumbledore, didn't you?" he accused.

He didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he showed her a note signed by the headmaster who asked the young boy to meet him to talk about something not specified, but clearly of utter importance.

"I did," she said as calmly as she could.

"I told you that you couldn't save me! I have no choice! Why did you have to complicate things?" he snarled.

It was obvious by the expression in his grey eyes that he wanted to scream, but he was aware this was not a topic to talk about out loud, so he restrained himself.

"Regulus…" Maria started, but he didn't let her continue.

"You had no right, Maria! I only told you because I was trying to help Severus!"

Maria gulped and bit her bottom lip in nervousness. She wanted to tell him she was merely trying to save his life. She wanted to tell him that if he joined the Death Eaters he would die. But she couldn't confess that. Instead, she asked softly, "Why do you say you have no choice? You can tell me…"

He was dumbfounded by her sudden question and shook his head and spat, "It doesn't matter. What matters now is that I am in a mess because of you!"

Maria looked at him sadly and took his hand. He was surprised by her touch, but didn't push her away. He started to tremble and admitted, "I'm afraid…"

"I know. I am too. That's why I told Dumbledore. He said he'd do anything in his hands to help you and Severus… I still don't know how he will do that, but he won't worsen the matter. If there is someone who can really do something for you, that's the headmaster."

He shook his head again. "You don't understand… I'll be marked in two weeks."

"I know. Severus is informing Professor Dumbledore just now."

"W-what?" he asked pushing away her hand.

"Dumbledore knows why Severus decided to join them. And right now he probably knows that you'll have to follow Mulciber and his gang on 30th September… The man has to know, Regulus. How else can he help you both?"

"He can't help me, dammit! I have to do this! I don't want his help!" he exploded.

There was a pause. Maria was starting to get uncomfortable, so she reminded him, "When I asked you whether you'd still join them if you had a choice, you told me you didn't know… Someone like Mulciber would have never doubted it. You're not like him. And Dumbledore can help you. If you don't trust me enough to tell me why you think you have no choice, then that's fine. But the headmaster must know it. Everything can turn out better than expected, if you're willing to give yourself a chance…"

Regulus was staring at her. He looked to be in deep thoughts, so Maria turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Maria's heart skipped a beat in hope and waited for him to continue. She was still giving her back to him.

"Do you promise not to judge me if I tell you?"

Maria finally faced him and nodded. Regulus ran a hand through his dark hair and whispered, "My family is pureblood and very prejudiced. My brother was disowned. He brought shame to my family name, so they expect me to become a Death Eater to clean the appearence. They have threatened me…" he trailed off.

Maria snorted and muttered under her breath, "I see they have this nasty habit to get what they want…" More gently, she wondered, "Can I know what they threatened you with?"

Regulus stared at her brown eyes for a long time and when Maria thought she wouldn't get an answer, his voice murmured, "My brother." His eyes got tearful and he added, "If I don't join them, they will disown me too, apart of hurting or even killing Sirius. I cannot let that happen. If I get disowned, my mother will be utterly alone and heart-broken… My father isn't a great man, you know?"

Maria pitied the boy. She felt her heart break for him. Now she knew why he had confessed he didn't know if he'd still join the Death Eaters despite having a choice. If they hadn't threatened him with Sirius, he would still have to think about his mother. The slytherin boy was in a mess; there was no doubt of it. Maria took his hand and with a stern voice, she told him, "Promise me you'll tell Dumbledore all of this. Promise me you will give yourself a chance."

"Not even Dumbledore can help me, Maria."

Stubbornly, she retorted, "He certainly won't help you if you don't let him. Look, if it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead or really hurt. I owe you, so I'm going to help you, no matter what you say. And right now, the only way I have to guarantee your safety is asking for Dumbledore's help."

His grey eyes stared at the ground, and Maria's expression softened, "You're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, Regulus, but you don't have to do it alone. If you let me, I can be your friend. And I believe that you could also rely on Severus. I mean, I know he may seem a little cold at first, but he is a good guy."

When he stared at her once again, he noticed she was smiling softly, as if encouraging him. With thick emotion in his voice, he murmured, "Thank you."

Her smile widened and this time, she didn't hold his hand. She simply hugged him so briefly that Regulus didn't have time to register what had just taken place nor put his arms around her.

"Thank you for telling me."

He nodded and swore, "I'll explain everything to Dumbledore."

"It's the right thing to do, Regulus. You'll see."

* * *

Meanwhile, Severus and Dumbledore were having a conversation.

"How may I help you, Mr. Snape?" the old wizard inquired in a welcoming tone.

"I know when it will take place, sir, " Severus replied in his silky voice.

He didn't mention explicitly what he was referring to, but there was no need to. Dumbledore knew he was talking about taking the Dark Mark, and his expression considerably sobered.

"30th of September. I don't know the location, though. Avery told me that I would have to follow the three of them when the time comes."

Dumbledore stayed silent, as if pondering it. There was a long silence, which, surprisingly, Severus broke.

"Maria has faith in you. She believes you are the only one who can help Regulus, the only one who can help me. But I'm not so certain," he boldly stated.

Albus kept a stoic face and wondered, "What makes you say so, child?"

"You said you'd help us, but you haven't told us how. We are talking about You-know-who. This is not a game."

The headmaster seemed to take well the criticism and nodded.

"Your opinion is understandable. However, there are still some arrangements I must make. I cannot tell you anything before I make sure everything is fine."

Severus nearly snorted due to the vague answer, but restrained himself from doing so.

"I will contact you, Regulus and maybe even Maria when everything is totally sorted out. I have been working on it since you confessed everything, Severus. Don't you doubt it."

* * *

Severus looked for Maria, Lily and the marauders in the library; but they were nowhere to be seen. He headed to the Great Hall, but they weren't there either. Suddenly he followed his instinct and went outside, as they sometimes did their homework there. He easily found them close to an old tree. He saw Sirius and Maria chatting animatedly, and it made him feel jealous. But then he saw how Maria took a blank parchment and started to use it as a blackboard to explain something to him. Severus sighed in relief. Maria was only letting her teaching skills shine. She looked happy there, so Severus decided to let her be and went back to the library to do his homework alone. He knew that eventually Maria and Lily would come to research some more, as they had settled the other day. He was right as just as he finished the assignments, the only friends he had ever had in his life entered the library and spotted him. Lily went to look for the book about the pureblood families, leaving the snakes alone.

"How did it go?" she wondered.

"Fine. He said he would contact us and Regulus once he sorts out how to help us," he said a little bitterly. Maria frowned, "So he doesn't know yet?"

Snape shrugged. "He claims he's been working on it since we told him."

"Then I believe him," she said with conviction. Then she bit her lip and confessed, "Regulus talked to me. He wasn't happy that we told Dumbledore at first, but I think I persuaded him or at least gave him some hope… I just want everything to turn out right in the end."

Severus took her hand and assured her, "You are doing everything you can and more, Maria."

She looked at him a little insecure and whispered, "But is it enough?"

He didn't answer her, but squeezed her hand to calm her down.

In that moment, Lily came back and opened the book in front of them. Then, she lifted an eyebrow amused and observed, "I get it that you two miss each other…" She tilted her head to their intertwined fingers, "But aren't you going to look for other sources?"

Severus and Maria blushed and immediately went to look for other books and newspapers in search of anything which could help them to find out something about Marvolo Gaunt and his shack or his ring.

They returned to Lily, who was focused on reading. The other teenagers did the same with their own sources. Everything was silence until the Gryffindor sighed and pulled a disappointing face.

"What's wrong? Isn't there anything else in the book? Only the family tree?" inquired Severus.

The green-eyed girl shook her head.

"There isn't anything that can really help us. I mean, I can't tell you much. Let's see… The Gaunts were descendants of Slytherin and Peverell families and were really proud of it, passing some Slytherin and Peverell objects generation to generation. I don't know which objects though. They also had a habit of marrying their own cousins to keep their blood pure, which clearly indicates they believed in pure-blood supremacy. It is implied that they married between them to keep the skill of Parseltongue in the family too. They were very rich once, but lost all the money long before Marvolo was born. Now, the most interesting thing: they lived in a small village in northern England, but the book doesn't specify which."

Maria shrugged. "At least we know the area, we'll find out more, don't worry Lily."

Severus seemed to be in deep thought for some time. All of sudden, he rose and left the two girls wordlessly, confusing them. When he came back, he had a little old book in his hands: _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

"I think I found something," Severus exclaimed excitedly.

Maria raised an eyebrow and joked, "Yes… A tales book. It's perfect to go to sleep."

Lily nearly laughed out loud, but remembered the librarian woman and reprimanded herself. Severus smirked at the Spanish girl and opened the book by the beginning of a tale.

"That's the _Tale of the 3 brothers;_ don't you get it? I know they are wizarding tales, but they are pretty popular."

Lily and Maria looked at each other confused and shook their heads. Severus sighed and explained, "This tale talks about the Deathly Hallows: the elder wand (the most powerful wand), the resurrection stone (which permits to see shades of the dead) and the invisibility cloak (the only one which doesn't fade with age). If one possesses them all, they become the Master of Death. They say that this tale is based on three brothers from the Peverell family. It is supposed to be a legend, but behind every legend lies a little truth."

Lily gulped and confessed, "James has one of those…"

"What?" Maria asked.

Lily sighed and clarified, "He's got an invisibility cloak which has belonged to the Potters for centuries… It doesn't look like it's going to fade any time soon either."

Maria frowned. "Does that mean that the stone and the wand also exist?"

"That's my guess. Think about it. You have just told us that they valued objects which belonged to the Slytherins and to the Peverells…" the boy looked at Lily for confirmation and then continued, "What if the ring had the stone?"

"What?" Lily asked with wide eyes.

"It makes sense. If everybody else believed it was a legend but your family possessed the stone, wouldn't you hide it? Wouldn't you want to have it close to you? A ring is a perfect solution for both."

Lily gave it some thought and replied, "What if You-know-who wanted to become Master of Death?"

Maria shook her head. "If he was after it then he never achieved it…"

"How do you know?" Lily asked.

Maria bit her lip and confessed, "Because I think that the Master of Death was the one who defeated him."

Severus's eyes widened in shock as the name Harry Potter crossed his mind. Maria sighed and explained in a way so that Lily didn't realize she was talking about his son, "A boy defeated He-who-must-not-be-named. There were lots of interviews after the war and I remember that our Professor showed one of those to the class… The boy said that he had felt the strength of the people who were gone and who had loved him to no end when he was about to fight against You-know-who… What if he had in fact seen them? What if he had had the stone? If it was a horcrux, he must have realized it wasn't a simple ring. He must have had the wand and the cloak too. How else could a teenager defeat He-who-ust-not-be-named?"

She hadn't mentioned that in fact, the only hallow she was sure the boy had was the invisibility cloak (because of the comment from Lily), although it made perfect sense. She exchanged looks with Severus and she knew that he was having similar thoughts.

"Are you implying that we'll have to find those hallows before You-know-who does in order to defeat him?" Lily inquired.

Maria shrugged. "It's too soon to say and it's only a theory, but it's clearly something to think about."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Maria woke up with a fright. Before she could squeak, a hand covered her mouth and a body pressed against hers so that she couldn't move. In the dark and without her glasses on, she couldn't identify who was attacking her. Hence, she did the only thing that came to her mind: she lifted her knee violently and kicked with all the force she could gather the stomach of the individual who was on top of her. When the mysterious person let out a hiss of pain she immediately recognized the deep voice. Her eyes widened and she susurrated, "Severus?"

Snape put his hands over his belly and looked at her, while she put her glasses on.

"What the bloody hell, Maria?!" he whispered, careful not to wake the door-mates of the Spanish girl.

"You are telling me _what the bloody hell_? I'm the one who should scream these words from the top of my lungs! You scared me to death!"

"I was trying to wake you up without Bryony and Lucinda noticing, but the moment your eyes widened I knew you were going to yell! And then you kicked me before I could tell you to calm down!"

She felt a little guilty but for hurting him, but shook the feeling off. After all, she could still feel her heart beating fast because of the scare.

"What do you want? You should be sleeping…"

"I wanted to surprise you," he babbled as a blush appeared on his pale face.

She raised an eyebrow and sarcastically said, "Well, you have unquestionably succeeded."

He ignored her comment and instructed, "Come with me…"

She frowned in confusion and asked, "What?"

"Come with me," he repeated.

Maria eyed him skeptically at first, but she ended up transfiguring her pajamas into the school uniform, pulling her hair into a messy bun and following him out of the room. Lucinda and Bryony were still asleep.

When they got out of the Slytherin Common Room, she grabbed his hand, stalled him and turned him to face her.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Why would he wake her up in the middle of the night? Had he found out something related to the mission? Had something happened with Mulciber? Did he know something else regarding the Dark Mark and the ceremony?

He frowned.

"Nothing. I just want to spend some time with you…alone."

She was relieved and confused at the same time.

"Seriously? You went through all that trouble just to spend time with me? We're practically all day together, Severus; and you know how much I hate sneaking out. Besides, I'm sleepy," she pouted.

He rolled his eyes at her childish reaction.

"Will you stop complaining and come with me?"

She reluctantly nodded and both of them started to walk again.

"How did you even enter the girls' dorms?"

"Alohomora," he provided with a shrug.

"Really? We'll have to think of something else to avoid unexpected visitors."

He nearly let out a chuckle.

"Where are you taking me anyway?"

"You know, when you don't get much sleep you get pretty impatient…"

"I'm glad you are so observant…" she mumbled in a sarcastic way. "Now, will you answer me?"

He stopped, looked her in the eye and whispered, "No."

Maria, who had hoped to find out about the surprise, made a disappointed face.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

"What?! I'm not closing my eyes! It's dark enough already..."

"Really, Maria? I thought you'd collaborate a little more…"

"Who's the one complaining now?" she teased.

Before she could add anything else, he took out her glasses.

"Hey! Give them back! I can't see anything!"

"That's the point. You weren't about to shut your eyes… I had to do something…"

"I can't believe you!" she cried out.

The Spanish girl had no clue where they were going: her blurry vision, her lack of sleep and the darkness of the corridors, all Hogwarts looked the same. Severus simply grabbed her hand and guided her until their destination. He gave her the glasses and when she put them on, he was opening a door.

"Go on…" he ordered. There was a hint of excitement in his voice he couldn't mask.

Maria did as told and Severus heard her gasp. She was fully awake now.

"Wow!"

"Not bad, right?"

Maria's eyes got a little tearful.

"This is… Severus, I-"

Snape smirked at her reaction. It was strange to see her struggling to let out the right words. She usually had no problem to chatter.

"Do you like it?"

Maria turned to him and smiled brightly as a tear fell down her face. The sight was too beautiful not to provoke any emotion in her. Severus had taken her to what she guessed was the Astronomy Tower. From there, the moon and a thousand stars shone and sparkled brightly as she had never witnessed in Barcelona. After all, in the city it was pretty difficult to see the stars. Sure, there were lights everywhere at night; but not stars.

"This is the most breath-taking sight I have ever seen…" she confessed. "Thank you."

Severus gave her one of his rare smiles and Maria suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him close. He froze at first, but relaxed into her touch and put his arms around her, bringing her even closer.

She pulled slightly away after a while and stared at his black eyes, as black as the sky and just as beautiful. Then, she directed her gaze to his mouth. She started to lean in and finally pressed their lips together. Severus shut his eyes and relished the moment, kissing her back softly. When they parted to breathe, she hit him on the chest with force.

"What the bloody… Maria!"

"That was for scaring me to death!" she explained, proking his chest to emphasize her message.

"Ugh! For Merlin's sake!" he blew up. "I only wanted to have a first date!"

Maria's angry expression instantly softened at the confession.

"First date?" she wondered in a trembling voice.

He rubbed his neck in nervousness and babbled, "Well, yes… That's what I intended to."

Maria felt guilty in that moment. Ashamed, she covered her face with her hands.

" _¡Oh, por Dios! Lo siento. Lo siento muchísimo. Aquí estás tú, esforzándote para que todo salga perfecto… ¡Y vengo yo y lo destrozo! Si lo hubiera sabido no te habría dado una patada, ni te hubiera pegado ni…"_

At first, Severus was looking at her amused. He waited for her to realize she was speaking in Spanish, but her ramble didn't seem to end, so he made a confused face and interrupted her, "You are aware that you aren't speaking in English and that I have no way to know what you're telling me, right?"

Maria blushed and uncovered her face. "Really? Sorry… I didn't realize it. Er- I was saying that I'm very sorry. You have been striving to make things perfect but then I came in and destroyed everything… If I had known I wouldn't have kicked you nor hit you and-"

"It's alright. I should have expected something like this…" he assured her.

"It's not alright! I ruined our first date! And I'm pretty sure your stomach still hurts…"

"You have ruined nothing, Maria. And I'm actually glad you reacted like this in the situation you were put. Other people would have frozen in fear, but you defended yourself. Really, don't worry about it…"

Maria smiled more calmly after his reassuring words. She sat down, taking Severus with her. She rested her head on the crook of his shoulder and stared at the sky. Severus pondered putting an arm around her shoulders. Would she like that or would it scare her off? Snape gulped and Maria turned to look him in the eye.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no," he stuttered.

"You don't fool me, Severus. Something's bothering you, so out with it."

"IdontknowifIshouldputanarmaroundyouornot."

She raised an eyebrow and retorted, "You are aware that I do speak English but that it isn't my native language, right?" she asked in the same tone he had used on her before, when she was speaking in Spanish. "That was too fast for me. I only caught the first and last words."

He sighed and slowly repeated as his cheeks turned pink, "I don't know if I should put an arm around you or not."

Maria's eyes softened when he noticed the insecurity in his black eyes and in a gentle voice, she told him, "You are my boyfriend and I'm already lying my head on your shoulder… Do you really think I wouldn't enjoy cuddling with you while sky-gazing?"

He lowered his eyes, but she cupped his chin, so that brown and black orbs met. In a soothing voice, she said, "Hey! You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But if you feel like hugging me, then do it; if you feel like kissing me, you can also do it. If I feel uncomfortable, I'll let you know. But don't be afraid."

She ended her little discourse with a cheek kiss and Severus smiled softly at her. Hesitatingly, he put his arm around the girl and brought her even closer to him, while she kept her head on his shoulder. His arm was a little rigid at first, but as the time went by, his hold felt less awkward and more natural. She sighed contently and together, they glanced at the sky, enjoying the starry night view. They didn't talk much after that, but there was no need. They simply delighted in the feeling of cuddling and kissing from time to time.

* * *

Severus woke up with a smile on his face. He remembered everything about last night. The way she had acted at first, instead of irritating him, diverted him. He thought she looked cute when she pouted. And her face when he had confessed he intended it to be their first date had been priceless. She had looked astounded, happy, moved, incredulous and excited; and at the same time she had been ashamed of her childish behavior. When she started to ramble in Spanish, Severus had been amazed. Sure, he had already heard her pronouncing some words in her language; but they were mostly swearwords. He had always loved her accent. However, last night he realized that she sounded incredibly _sexy_ when she spoke the language; even though he couldn't understand a single thing. And her kisses… Sweet Salazar! Her kisses made him feel like nothing and nobody else existed but Maria and her fleshy lips. Her brown eyes had shown a special glim which he had never seen while they cuddled and glanced at the stars and Snape was determined to see it again. All in all, he was satisfied with their first date, despite the bruise he could feel on his belly.

When he finally reached the Common Room, Ruiz was already there chatting animatedly with Lucinda Talkalot and Bryony Shafiq, as usual. When she acknowledged his presence, she stopped the conversation and stared at his black eyes. She smiled brightly at him with shining eyes, making the slytherin boy's heart beat fast.

During breakfast, Regulus joined the pair of snakes. Black looked healthier; as if he had finally got some sleep. He sat next to the girl and murmured, "The headmaster knows everything…"

Maria sighed in relief and said, "Thanks for keeping the promise."

After hesitating, he added, "I also wanted to thank you for helping me… I mean, I still don't know whether Dumbledore will be able to solve the problem, but I'm glad that he's willing to try. You were right: if he can't help me, then nobody can."

"What did Dumbledore tell you?" Snape wondered.

"Er- well. He thanked me for letting him know the details of my situation and then promised me he'd try to do whatever he could… Why? Don't you believe him?"

Snape was taken aback by the question and Maria was eyeing him, curious to know the answer. It made him feel a little nervous, but he told the truth nonetheless, "I'll believe him when he tells us what plan his brilliant mind has formulated to get us out of this mess."

Maria shrugged and murmured, "He will, Severus. He told you he would let us know."

"Oh, yes! I'll be waiting with a smile on my face and no worries on my mind," he replied sarcastically.

"You know, Severus? It's great to see your patience and trust shining through," she retorted with irony.

Regulus tried to mask a chuckle, but he didn't quite succeed; so Maria and Severus were eyeing him with identical arched eyebrows. That was too much for him, he finally released the laugh he had been reprimanding. It was the first time he laughed since they had threatened him with Sirius and it felt exceptionally good.

"What's so funny?" the black-eyed boy inquired.

Regulus shook his head, still with a grin on his face.

"You two… I know I already told you that, but I think you'd be cute together."

Severus and Maria blushed and avoided each other's eyes, to Regulus's farther amusement. If only he knew... Then Black heard Snape muttering under his breath, "Why does everybody think we're cute?"

The witch didn't answer him, but Regulus raised an eyebrow.

"Someone else has told you so, then?"

"Lily Evans," whispered Maria.

The boy nearly choked.

* * *

The day had been busy. Nor Evans nor Ruiz nor Snape were able to keep investigating about the Gaunts or anything related. Instead, they had been doing homework until late. Severus had insisted in practicing some occlumency before going to sleep. Therefore, the snakes went to the Come and Go Room and started the lesson.

"Ready?"

Maria nodded and prepared herself.

"1, 2, 3… Legilimens!"

Severus roamed through her mind freely. All he could see though were happy images of Maria spending time with her family and muggle childhood friends, as always. It was clear that she really did miss them for they were always on her mind. Maria tried to push him away, but she wasn't successful. Severus stopped and looked her in the eye. She had a disappointed face and was avoiding his eyes.

"Sorry… I couldn't do it," she apologized.

"Do you have headache?"

"Yes."

"Then it means you tried… Again."

Maria nodded confidently and waited for the now familiar sensation of feeling Severus inside her brain. This time, the memories weren't as cheerful. Maria wasn't a child anymore. Snape saw as the girl and some teenagers of her age chatted in Spanish. Maria looked really uncomfortable. Snape didn't know what they were talking about, but it looked like they were invinting her to spend time together. Maria simply shook her head and opened her mouth to reply. He guessed she was making up an excuse. The scenario of the school changed to her home. Maria looked happy again, with her family. They were chatting about something which Severus, due to the language, couldn't really understand. It mustn't have been something nice though as Maria's face suddenly fell. She gulped and tried to smile again, holding her mother's hand tight. Her mother had tearful eyes and it was clear that Maria was trying to be strong for both.

Unexpectedly, Severus heard her crying out _protego!_ The flashes weren't about Maria anymore. They were Snape's. A five-year-old Severus Snape crying in the corner could be seen while a woman who resembled him greatly and a man who had the same hooked nose were arguing, screaming and even displaying physical violence. A seven-year-old Snape was being told over and over again by the same nasty man that he was a good-for-nothing freak. An eight-year-old Snape was watching in silence as the man kept wasting money in alcohol while the kid had practically rags for clothes.

Maria was shoved out his mind. Severus was breathing hard and the Spanish girl had tearful eyes. Before she could apologize for entering his memories, Snape left the room wordlessly. He didn't even look back. Maria was so shocked she couldn't move.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Once Ruiz recovered from the shock she broke into a run and looked for her boyfriend, some tears streaming down her face, hoping desperately that he would forgive her. She looked into all the empty classrooms, but she couldn't spot his black hair anywhere. She decided to go to the dungeons. Before she could head in that direction though, she heard a voice calling her name which stopped her: it belonged to Remus Lupin. She turned around and saw that he wasn't alone: Sirius Black was by his side. Maria wiped her tears so that her gryffindor friends didn't notice the state she was in, but it was no use. New tears emerged from her brown eyes.

"Maria? What's wrong?" Remus wondered with evident worry written over his face.

"N-nothing," replied Maria between weeps.

"It's far from nothing, Maria. Has someone hurt you? Because then I'll make sure to kick their arse and-"

Before Sirius could continue Maria shook her head and babbled, "No one hurt me. I was the one who hurt someone... I screwed up."

The two marauders looked at each other for a second and frowned in confusion. Sirius took her hand and squeezed it.

"I have experience with this kind of situations," he said, making her chuckle lightly. He smiled at her reaction and offered, "I'm sure I can help you… And Remus will too. He always does when I spoil everything."

Remus grinned and nodded, indicating that what his friend was saying was nothing but the truth. Maria smiled through her tears and hugged both of them briefly. When she broke the embrace, she noticed that Sirius's cheeks had turned pink. She frowned in confusion, but shook the thought away and simply replied, "Thanks for the support, but I must do this alone."

Sirius and Remus didn't have time to question her farther as she had already wriggled out. When the Spanish girl got to the Slytherin Common Room, she couldn't find Severus. However, she distinguished Regulus Black among some slytherin boys from his age. Trying to dry her tears, she approached the teenager.

"Regulus?" she had intended to speak in her usual confident voice, but it came out as weak and insecure.

The grey-eyed boy took in her appearance and immediately rose to talk to her, leaving the other guys alone. He guided her towards a corner, where they could have more privacy.

"Maria, what's wrong? You look like you've been crying… It has to do with Severus, right?"

She bit her lip and nodded. Before she could question him, Regulus was already talking.

"He's gone to his dorm. He didn't look like he wanted to talk to anybody, Maria."

Ruiz's face fell. She was trying hard not to cry once again.

"What's happened?"

Maria eyed Regulus and eventually said, "I really think that if I told you it would worsen things…"

Regulus seemed understand it, so he told her, "Look, you've helped me… So if I can do anything to help you, just let me know, okay?"

Maria stared at his grey eyes and requested, "If you really mean it, could you tell him that I'm really sorry and that it wasn't my intention?"

Regulus nodded and Maria thanked him before going to her dorm. When she closed the door, she finally let all her tears fall. She hadn't even noticed she wasn't alone there.

"Maria? Are you OK?" Shafiq asked worriedly while Talkalot approached the girl with glasses.

"She obviously isn't, Bryony…" Lucinda scolded her.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be nice…" she replied sarcastically.

Lucinda rolled her eyes at her friend and put a hand on Maria's shoulder, which was shaking due to the sobs.

"Do you want to tell us what happened? It might help…" encouraged the slytherin quidditch captain.

Maria shook her head violently.

"OK. That's fine. But we're your roommates… You know you can count on us, right? Slytherins have each other's backs," Bryony tried again.

Maria didn't trust her voice yet, so she nodded at the girl. Lucinda suddenly had an idea and smirked. She looked through her belongings until she got something out.

"Here they are! Cauldron cakes! They are the best solution against tears… Believe me, I have experience with it," she mumbled as she handed some to the Spanish girl.

Maria chuckled through her tears and gratefully accepted the sweets. She was glad Bryony and Lucinda cared about her like that. They hadn't intruded her or made her feel uncomfortable and for that she was extremely thankful.

Before they went to sleep, Bryony told Maria, "You know… You may not have said anything, but I'm sure it has to do with Snape."

Maria's breath hitched. Was she that obvious?

"What Bryony wanted to say is that we're sure you'll work it out, like that other time you weren't talking to each other…"

Maria bit her lip.

"How can you be so sure?"

There was fear and insecurity in her voice, but all Lucinda merely shrugged and conceded, "Bryony and I have noticed the way he looks at you, that's all… Snape is many things, but a fool ain't one. You are probably his only friend, he won't let you go."

Maria prayed that her slytherin roommates were right.

* * *

Meanwhile, Regulus was knocking deliriously on Severus's dorm door.

"Severus? Come on, open the bloody door!"

No response.

"Severus! I need to talk to you… Please," he pleaded in a defeated tone.

He had been knocking and calling for him for five minutes now. Just when he was going to give up, Severus opened the door. He still looked angry, but Regulus could also see a hint of shame in his black eyes. The boy didn't waste any time and quickly blurted out, "I don't know what happened between you two, but Maria is sorry. She says it wasn't her intention…"

Severus's eyes darkened in fury. He took out his wand and pointed it at the young boy.

"What has she told you? What do you know?"

Regulus's eyes widened in fear and he stuttered, "N-nothing… W-When I asked, she said that it would be w-worse if I knew. She only requested me to let you know that she was s-sorry."

Severus lowered his wand, but it was evident he was still pretty upset.

"Is that all?"

Regulus gulped and admitted, "She was crying, Severus. She looked regretful… I really believe she meant what she said."

After telling him this, Regulus went to his own dorm before Snape decided to point his wand at him again. Severus's face softened after he closed the door.

* * *

Another Saturday arrived. Lucinda and Bryony were reassuring Maria that everything would turn out fine. Ruiz tried to grin, but the smile really didn't reach her eyes. Severus didn't appear in the Common Room, so Maria supposed he had already gone to the Great Hall. She was right. He found him eating his breakfast alone. Ruiz bit her lip nervously and sat next to him. There were a million things she wanted to tell him, but she started with a simple _good morning_. Snape didn't look at her, but nodded, as if greeting her too. Maria sighed relieved: that was more than she had expected.

"Look, I've been all night planning out the perfect way to apologize to you so it would be nice if, at least, you looked me in the eye for this…"

His coal eyes still didn't meet her chocolate orbs, but he murmured, "I know you didn't mean to do it; Regulus told me so… There's nothing to apologize for, Maria."

Maria frowned and replied, "Of course there is! I shouldn't have pried into your mind like that! As soon as I realized what was happening I should have pulled out and I didn't… It's just that I was so shocked that I-"

"Maria, it's fine. You didn't mean it. I'm the one who should be apologizing…"

"What? Why?"

"I ran away."

Maria's eyes softened and she replied, "Severus, the images I saw weren't nice memories… I understand your reaction."

There was a short pause and Snape murmured, "Aren't you going to ask me anything related to what you saw? Aren't you going to ask me about my family?"

Maria didn't know if the tone he had used was angry or relieved. She prayed for the latest and answered, "I don't want to push you." As an afterthought, she added, "But the truth is that I'd like to know whether somebody else knows."

"Only you."

Maria gulped.

"Then I really believe it would do you good to let it go and tell somebody about it. It doesn't have to be me and it doesn't have to be now… Do it whenever you're ready."

She hesitated a little and reluctantly wondered in a really smooth voice, "Do you have to endure this yet? In the memories you were only a kid… You don't have to answer me, but I'm worried about you."

The feeling of somebody caring for him was foreign to Severus. He didn't know if he felt overwhelmed, thankful or vulnerable because of it. It was probably a mix of the three.

"I avoid being home now."

He hadn't been explicit, but Maria knew what those words meant: the situation hadn't changed much. She didn't want to overwhelm him now, but she was determined to help him out.

"I'm sorry you have to see me spending time with my family during occlumency lessons… It must annoy you and make you remember what you never had…"

"I actually believe you're in a worse situation…"

Maria didn't voice the question, but her facial expression showed confusion and perplexity, so Severus kept talking, "You had everything and then you lost it. You can't miss what you haven't had… I never really had a family; you did."

Maria took his hand, making him glance at their intertwined fingers, and said, "It's true that I miss them, just not as much when I'm with you. You make everything better, Severus."

Snape didn't reply but squeezed her hand. It was then that the slytherin girl knew that he thought she made everything better for him too, and that was more than enough.

* * *

During the morning, while they were finishing some assignments and studying a little, Ruiz and Snape received a note from Dumbledore which told them to meet at his office after lunch time. The note added the password which Maria recognized as a muggle sweet. When they came in after muttering said password, the two snakes saw that Regulus was there too. Albus motioned for them to have a seat.

"I've come up with a plan to help you out."

Maria and Regulus smiled, while Severus thought to himself that it was about bloody time. Next Saturday would be the indicated day, anyway. They only had one week to prepare everything.

"On 30th September you will go with Mulciber, Rosier and Avery and attend the ceremony, as they expect you to. Some members of the Order of Phoenix will follow you covertly, and so will I. We'll be on alert all day, waiting for the moment."

"What's the Order of Phoenix?" asked the youngest snake.

"It's a secret organization which acts under my orders and against Lord Voldemort. A lot of people who'll help you are aurors. As I was saying, we will follow you to your destination. Once we get there, we will attack and capture as many Death Eaters as we can, including the three slytherins who threatened you, Severus. I will take care of Voldemort and the aurors will deal with the rest. You two," he said indicating to Regulus and Severus, "will have to act as though you want to join them until we interfere. It must look like an ambuscade and you'll be the first ones to be stupefied or petrified by spells of the aurors. As you won't have the mark yet, you won't be judged by the Ministry. At the same time, Voldemort won't target you two as traitors either, because of the way you behaved. Since Rosier, Avery and Mulciber won't be at Hogwarts, you won't be in danger and they won't be able to hurt you, Maria, nor Sirius. By the way, Maria, if we're not back after an hour, get Professor McGonagall. She'll know what to do."

He paused, letting the teenagers sink the plan in. During the speech, every time he pronounced the word Voldemort, only the two boys cringed, not Maria, but Dumbledore didn't seem to notice or he simply didn't care.

"Your father will be present while the event takes place, right?" he asked Regulus, who nodded in response. "Good. We'll try to capture him too, so that he can't pressure you anymore."

"My father will go to Azkaban then?" It was a question, but it sounded more like a statement.

"I'm sorry, Regulus. It is the only way."

The young snake kept a stoic face and Maria couldn't help but feel sad for him.

"What if You-know-who doesn't give up and finds a way to get to us? If we act like we want to join he can come to us later," asked Regulus, still a little reluctant about the strategy.

"Then you'll have to tell me straightaway. Anyway, I guarantee you all the protection of the Order. If you act like I said you'll have less to lose. Are there any more questions?"

Snape had to admit that the plan was better than expected, if they actually got through it. Dumbledore had ensured that they didn't look like traitors, so He-who-must-not-be-named wouldn't feel betrayed by them and they wouldn't be on his bad side. It would look like a trap. The headmaster had also guaranteed them the Order's protection and that calmed him down. He only hoped that everything would turn out fine. He didn't really know about Regulus's situation, for neither Maria nor the boy had told him; so he couldn't tell if getting that man in Azkaban would be a good thing. Regulus hadn't complained though.

Maria couldn't help but smile. True, it was dangerous, but the plan could actually work. So she stood and unexpectedly threw her arms around the headmaster.

"Thank you for everything."

The old wizard was taken aback at first, but he put his arms around the girl anyway.

"Thank you for letting me help."

Severus and Regulus were also surprised by the gesture and Regulus even muttered under his breath, "She really likes hugs, doesn't she?"

The Spanish girl with glasses broke the embrace with the old man and then, she hugged both boys at the same time. Severus blushed at the public display of affection and he felt even more ashamed when Dumbledore eyed him with a twinkle in his eye, as if he knew what was going on between Maria and him.

"Everything will be alright."

Regulus patted her back a little awkwardly but Snape didn't move.

* * *

Once they got out of the office, Maria took Regulus's hand before he could go away.

"I'm sorry about your father…"

He shrugged.

"I'm not. He deserves it. My mother will be free, and so will I… I wanted to thank you once again for helping me and-"

"It was nothing, Regulus," she cut him as she smiled. "It's what friends do, right?"

Regulus smiled back and replied, "Right. See you later, Maria. Bye, Severus."

Severus nodded as a goodbye. Once he left, Maria made sure they were alone and then crushed her lips against his. The boy hadn't seen that one coming and it had been so short he hadn't had time to kiss her back.

"I wanted to kiss you back in the office, instead of hugging you, to celebrate that we have a plan… But I knew you wouldn't have appreciated it so-"

Severus interrupted her prattle by kissing her again. This time the kiss was slow and gentle. When they pulled away, the brown-haired girl asked him with a mischievous smile, "Does that mean that you approve Dumbledore's plan?"

He smirked slyly and teased, "It means that I like to kiss you to interrupt your babblings…"

She hit his shoulder playfully.

"And that it went better than anticipated."

"I knew it."

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent in the library doing homework and studying, obviously, but also investigating with Lily from time to time. Sirius and Remus had also approached Maria to make sure she was fine after they had found her so upset the other day. Maria had simply thanked them and guaranteed that she couldn't be better. During the week, Severus and Regulus got more nervous about it all, but Maria always managed to tranquilize them with reassuring words and unexpected (or not so unexpected) hugs. Severus kept teaching her Occlumency and the two snakes, alongside a lion girl with green eyes, kept on researching. It was on Thursday, before dinner, when they made some progress.

"Guys, I know where the Gaunts' shack is," Maria suddenly revealed.

Lily and Severus exchanged excited looks and listened to the girl with glasses as she told them everything.

"Do you remember Morfin Gaunt, Marvolo's son? In Lily's book I saw that he had been the last to die. If they passed the ring from generation to generation, it's likely that he was the last one who had it. The book wasn't updated, so there might have been more descendants, but I followed my gut and focused on him. This piece of newspaper is about his death. It turns out he died in Azkaban. He had been sentenced there because he had murdered some muggles in a small northern village. The name is Little Hangleton. The paper says that the murderer lived just outside of it and that his family never had a cordial relationship with the muggle inhabitants."

"Great! Now we know the town!" exclaimed Lily eagerly, receiving a deathly glare from the librarian.

Severus was giving Maria one of his rare but unique smiles and he couldn't resist but peck her lips, making the Spanish girl grin brightly. Suddenly, the auburn-haired girl blurted out, breaking the spell, "When are we supposed to go to the village, find the shack and look for the ring?"

"I've given it some thought. We could go during Hogsmeade trips and Christmas break. Although firstly, we'll have to find all the locations about each horcrux, don't you think?" Severus proposed.

Both girls agreed.

* * *

Saturday came quicker than expected. Severus and Regulus masked to the best of their abilities their fear and hoped that everything went as planned.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Severus and Regulus were hiding behind a mask of confidence, but inside, they were terrified of the events that were about to face. Rosier, Avery and Mulciber approached them first thing in the morning to let them know that they had to be at half past eleven at night in the Astronomy Tower and that they should carry their own broomsticks. When the three slytherins went away, Maria appeared in the Common Room, looking for her edgy friends. Once she spotted them, she hurried to them.

"Are you two alright?"

They nodded, but Maria could see right through them. She snorted and told them, "Right. You are perfectly fine. That is why you cannot even look me in the eye."

She got no response out of the snakes, so she sighed and took their hands.

"Everything will be fine. You just need to follow the plan. Come on, let's have breakfast."

Before she could take a step, Severus put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"We have to carry our broomsticks and get to the Astronomy Tower by half past eleven," he susurrated.

"We must inform Dumbledore then."

Regulus offered to do it and left Severus and Maria alone. They went to the Great Hall and ate in silence. To any other person, Severus appeared calm, but the Spanish girl knew he was probably trembling inside. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Severus?" she caught his attention, a puckish grin developing on her face.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to have a second date?"

Severus blinked, as if making sure he had heard correctly. When he realized that she had actually asked him _that_ , he smiled softly, giving her one of those rare yet true smiles he only had for her, and said, "Yes."

"Great. Follow me."

He furrowed his brow and spat, "What?! Wait, you meant now?!"

She folded her arms across her chest and retorted, "Any objection?"

He looked at her like she was growing a second head and practically shouted, "I'm sorry, but I think it's not the best time to go out on a date if we take into account what I am going to go through today."

"Severus Snape, we are going to have this date, like it or not. You need to take a break. All week long you have been thinking about it. Give yourself a rest, will you?"

Before he could tell her otherwise, she had already taken his hand, dragging him across the castle until they were in the seventh floor. She thought about what they needed, praying it would work out, and soon, they found themselves in the Room of Requirement. It looked like a cinema room.

"What is this?" wondered Severus, trying to hide his amazement.

"You've never been to a cinema?" she asked bewildered.

He shook his head. Maria felt a little sad at first, but then she smiled slyly and said, "You know what? That's even better. I'll get to show it to you… You know what a muggle film is, right?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I do. And I also know what cinemas are for… Are we really going to watch a film now?" he asked in disbelief.

She shrugged and said, "We could always do homework, but it wouldn't relax you. Watching films is entertaining and takes your mind off of other things. That's what you need right now. So come on, think of a film you'd like to watch."

He rubbed his neck awkwardly and finally admitted, "I don't know many films… I mean, only my father watches the telly at home and I don't-"

Maria interrupted him before he got more uncomfortable and guaranteed him as she took his hand, "Hey don't worry, ok?ay I've seen lots of them. I can choose… Have you heard about Disney?"

"Walt Disney? I've never watched a Disney film, but Lily used to like them before we went to Hogwarts. I am confused though… Aren't they films for kids?"

Maria crossed her arms and replied indignantly, "One is never too old for Disney. And you cannot live without watching at least one Disney film in your life."

They sat next to each other as some popcorn and cokes appeared beside them. Snape arched an eyebrow as if questioning her and Ruiz just laughed, "Going to the cinema without popcorn and fizzy drinks isn't going to the cinema."

"We have just eaten!" he complained.

"We'll eat more then. What, is it too much for you?" she teased.

Then Maria concentrated and asked the room to begin the motion picture. _Beauty and the Beast_. That was the film she had chosen to watch. She thought it was fitting. She remembered her mother explaining every time she watched said film that when Maria's parents were dating, they went to the cinema to watch it. Now the girl wanted to have the same experience. Besides, she had a feeling that Severus would connect to one particular character.

The familiar tune to the girl from the future and the unfamiliar tune to the black-haired boy resonated across the room. Smiling in excitement upon hearing the prologue, the girl beamed and began to eat. Snape was more focused on her reactions than on the film itself. He couldn't get enough of her: he liked her little giggles, the way she pouted at Gaston, the way her eyes got dreamy during romantic scenes, the way she hummed the songs… Every time Maria glanced at him, he pretended to be entranced with _Beauty and the Beast,_ ate some popcorn and thanked the darkness of the room for hiding his blush. When they had watched half film, Maria turned her head to him and whispered in his ear, "You know, usually, when your girlfriend takes you to the cinema it is implied that she is expecting some stolen kisses, subtle touches and holding hands… Even more when the cinema is empty."

Snape could feel her hot breath and it sent shivers down his spine. It didn't help that she was asking him to literally touch her and kiss her. He froze, but the Spanish girl held his hand and drew circles with her thumb on his palm. Severus's breath hitched and he unconsciously shut his eyes, thinking about nothing but the slytherin girl. Maria noticed it and giggled, startling him.

"Usually, you cannot see when your eyes are closed, something which doesn't come in handy when you are trying to watch a film… Does it bore you that much?"

Surprisingly, he was enjoying the experience. He liked feeling Maria so close to him and watching her being as delighted as a child. The film wasn't that bad, if one took out Gaston's presence, which reminded him an awful lot of Sirius Black. Besides, he thoroughly enjoyed the scene of the library. He would have done anything to have a library like that for himself.

Suddenly, Maria stopped touching him and let out an excited yelp.

"What is it?"

"This scene is one of the best of all Disney films…"

Mrs. Potts started to sing the most popular song of the film as Belle the Beast danced around. Maria smiled and started to sing it too, although in Spanish, not in English. Severus couldn't help but turn his head and watch her. She looked so beautiful in that moment… And her singing wasn't bad at all! Who knew her singing voice would be so soothing and sultry at the same time? He had always thought she sounded sexy when she spoke in Spanish, but damn, singing in that language was even better. Maria noticed him staring at her, so she stopped abruptly and demanded, "Oh, come on! I have just told you that this scene is the best! Will you really miss it because you keep staring at me?"

Snape chuckled and gave her a peck that took Maria by surprise. The girl smiled and shook her head.

"I can't believe it! You've spent all the film without kissing me. Yet, the single moment I ask you to pay attention, you decide to get to action! _¡Por Dios!" [Por Dios = For God's sake!]_

Snape smirked and decided to do as she had requested when he saw that she picked up the thread and sang the final lines. During the rest of the film, Severus got comfortable and began to play with her hair and kiss her neck from time to time, which made the girl gasp and blush so much that not even the darkness could hide it. They were holding hands all the time, their fingers intertwined. The credits arrived, and as if they were in a real cinema, the lights turned on. The pair stood up.

"So? What did you think?" wondered Maria, intrigued about his verdict.

"I think that you have a really nice neck and a soft skin and that your hair is-"

Maria smacked his arm playfully and blushed slightly.

"I meant about the cinema and _Beauty and the Beast_!"

He let out a low chuckle and confessed, "I think I like cinemas. And I guess that _Beauty and the Beast_ isn't so bad, if you forget about Gaston, of course. He would have surely been sorted in Gryffindor, the annoying brat!"

Maria giggled and tiptoed to press their lips together. Snape reacted immediately and slid a hand under her chin to bring her closer. He felt her teasing his lips with her tongue, as if demanding entrance. He didn't waste any time and let her tongue find his. Severus felt like he was floating off when her hands slipped up his chest towards his neck, holding him firmly and deepening the kiss. When they broke it, the halfblood frowned and guessed, showing a little of vulnerability, "You chose this film because I am similar to the Beast, didn't you?"

Maria smiled and ribbed, "Both of you are grumpy."

"Maria!"

Getting more serious, she explained, "And when I met you, you acted a lot like the Beast too. You tried to push me away, remember? You tried to stop me from being your friend and told me that you were bad-tempered, mean and obnoxious."

"But somehow you saw the beauty inside me, even if I still don't see it, just like Belle and the Prince," he finished for her.

"You are beautiful to me, Severus, don't you ever doubt it," she whispered as she caressed his cheek tenderly.

No one had ever called him beautiful. Quite the contrary, he had been harassed for his looks all his life. It was hard to believe her, but Severus could see the honesty in her brown orbs. Slowly, she leaned in and kissed him again, this time slow and sweet. His timid arms wrapped her waist.

"Are you feeling better?" she inquired, when she parted, still in his arms.

"Much better."

The witch smiled once again and lightly kissed his hooked nose. He frowned abruptly and asked, "Why didn't you tell me you could sing?"

Her cheeks turned pink and her eyes widened. She had been so into the film that she hadn't even noticed she had been singing.

"Er-I do not sing that well…"

He raised an eyebrow and rejoined, "You certainly sing better than Mrs. Potts, Maria."

She blushed even more, but didn't comment. Severus thought she looked cute when she got so shy. Usually, she was a very straightforward girl, and to see her struggling like that for a single compliment was amusing and adorable at the same time. He smirked and kissed her heated cheek, an act which didn't help her case.

"Thank you," he told her sincerely.

"Whatever for?"

"For making me forget about the bad things in life... And for being my Belle."

* * *

The time arrived. Severus and Regulus flew out of the Astronomy Tower and followed Rosier, Avery and Mulciber. Maria had told Lily about the plan, so a few minutes later, the witches got to the tower, waiting for their arrival and praying everything would turn out fine. The truth was that Maria had held back her feelings of nervousness and fear during all this time because she knew that Severus and Regulus needed to rely on someone. But now, she didn't have to hide it anymore. She let out a single tear. Lily saw it and quickly understood that her slytherin friend was a little afraid, despite having Dumbledore's back. The Head Girl was also worried about the boys, so she understood Maria's reaction. Wordlessly, she took her hand and squeezed it, reassuring her with that simple gesture that everything would go as planned.

* * *

Severus and Regulus had already landed. They were surrounded by Death Eaters and listening to a discourse Voldemort was pronouncing. Both were starting to get worried because they hadn't noticed anyone following them. What if there had been some problems? What if the Order didn't know they were in the Forbidden Forest?

"You'll be the first one," Voldemort muttered suddenly, pointing his wand at Severus and interrupting his preoccupied thoughts.

He knew that Maria would have told him to follow the plan and trust Dumbledore, thus the young slytherin swallowed his fear and took a step forward. As he rolled his sleeve up, he heard someone screaming _stupefy_. The spell was aimed at him and he was thrown back with so much force he hit his head against a tree. Severus could only hear squeaking voices from afar and see some lightning coming from wand duels before his world turned black.

* * *

Maria and Lily were still holding hands when they saw that Regulus had already arrived to the Astronomy Tower. Instead of coming flying with a broomstick though, he had appeared from behind. He had some scratches and bruises and he was holding his left arm.

"Regulus!" Maria screamed, running to him and enfolding him in her arms, taking care of not touching his injured arm. "Are you OK?"

He nodded and hurried to say, "I'm fine. I only have a dislocated shoulder. Nothing Madam Pomfrey cannot heal."

Maria sighed in relief and broke the embrace. She got nervous when Severus didn't appear.

"Where's Severus?" she asked in a quivering voice.

Regulus's eyes darkened and he whispered, "He's hurt, Maria."

Lily's green eyes widened and Maria gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"W-what's happened?" Lily wondered the moment she realized her friend wasn't able to mutter any word.

Regulus gulped and explained, "The ceremony took place in the Forbidden Forest. Severus was about to receive the mark; he had even rolled up his sleeve. We hadn't noticed anyone following us and we were pretty scared. But suddenly, an auror stupefied Severus to save him. Unluckily, he hit his head against a tree because of the strong impulse and blacked out."

"Will he be alright?" asked Maria, who had seemed to recover her voice, although it was clear to see she was holding back some tears.

"I think so… Madam Pomfrey is already healing him."

Maria nodded and put a hand on his not-injured shoulder.

"Come on, you can tell us what else happened while Lily and I accompany you to the Hospital Wing."

On their way, Regulus kept retelling the events, "After he was hit, somebody else stupefied me. I fell badly and this is the consequence…" he said, glancing at his dislocated shoulder. "Everything happened so fast... The aurors out-numbered the Death Eaters, so they had it easy to capture them all, including my father, Rosier, Avery and Mulciber. Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore told You-know-who that he should know better than to mess with Hogwarts's students and then they fought. I have never seen such an incredible duel, I swear. It was scary and at the same time thrilling to see. It didn't last much though... When He-who-must-not-be-named saw that all his Death Eaters were being defeated, he shrieked in fury, took a step back and disappeared. Then the headmaster apparated us away, in the Hospital Wing. He told me to get you as Madam Pomfrey took care of Severus."

"I thought one couldn't apparate inside Hogwarts," Lily observed.

Regulus shrugged and said, "I thought so too, but he is Dumbledore, you know?"

"Everything's gone according to plan then, except Severus's accident…" Maria muttered under her breath as her eyes got even more tearful than before.

"Maria, Severus is strong. I'm sure he'll be alright," the green-eyed girl assured her.

"She's right," guaranteed the injured boy.

Maria knew that Severus had been through worse and that he had almost died because of a prank which involved a werewolf. However, she couldn't stop worrying about him. She cared too much.

They finally reached the Infirmary. Albus and Poppy were there. They seemed to be waiting for them to arrive.

"Mr. Black! Come, we'll get your shoulder fixed. Miss Ruiz and Miss Evans, you should go to sleep. Mr. Snape is stable now. He'll recover, don't worry," the medi-witch told them in a soft voice.

However, they disobeyed her orders and hurried to the bed where Severus was lying down. He had a bandage around his head and he appeared to be asleep. Maria let out some of the tears she had been holding back at the sight. Lily hugged her, trying to give her the support she needed.

"He'll be fine, Maria. You've heard Madam Pomfrey," whispered the gryffindor.

"Indeed," intervened Dumbledore.

His voice made Lily and Maria break the embrace.

"I trust Regulus has told you what happened."

They gave a nod.

"Good. Then you know this was an unfortunate accident. We never meant for this to ensue. He's my student, I should have done something," he claimed.

"You should," Maria spat bitterly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy that everything else has turned out fine, but whoever screamed _stupefy_ at Severus should have been more careful. And the same goes for Regulus. There was no need to physically injure any of them."

Lily was shocked by the way Ruiz talked to Dumbledore, who only sighed. She had to admit though, that her snake friend had a point.

"It was the only way that Voldemort would have never suspected of them..." stated the wizard.

Maria swallowed her ire because she knew that, deep inside, he was right. It was better this way, without Voldemort targeting her friends as traitors. Nevertheless, she felt like they could have been a little more cautious.

"Poppy was right, you should go to sleep," the headmaster instructed.

Maria shook her head and replied with determination, "I'm not going anywhere and I don't care what you say. I'm staying with him."

"You certainly have some nerve talking to me like that, child."

Maria didn't apologize and Albus sighed.

"We're only trying to do the best for you. Go to your dorms."

Regulus and Poppy had heard everything and the slytherin said, "I'm staying the night here, Maria. I'll look after him."

Maria kept shaking her head in refusal as angry and impotent tears slid down her cheeks. Lily was looking at her with pity and so was Poppy, who remembered the time when the positions were reversed and Severus was the one who stayed by her side, even though she was unconscious.

"Don't worry, Albus. I'll take care of everything," offered the medi-witch.

Albus hesitated a little but ended up nodding and leaving the room. Once the staff member was alone with the teenagers, she whispered, "I'll let you stay here, Miss Ruiz, but only for tonight… Is that clear?"

Maria's eyes widened in surprise and she immediately smiled at the woman, who smiled back softly at her.

"Thanks."

Lily also grinned at the Spanish girl and whispered _good night_ , leaving the room. She was worried about Snape too, but she knew that Maria and Severus's relationship was deeper and that the girl needed to make sure he was fine.

The medi-witch moved a bed and put it close to Snape's.

"Here. You'll be more comfortable."

Maria smiled softly and thanked the woman again. Poppy seemed to hesitate, but she finally admitted, "You know, I don't usually let students stay here unless they are hurt or ill… When you were the one who had been wounded, I didn't have it in my heart to make Snape go away. He comes as a cold person, so when I saw him taking your hand I knew that he cared deeply for you. I'm glad to see that you care just as much for him. The poor boy deserves a little of affection. Have a good night, Miss Ruiz."

The light went off. Maria smiled sweetly and took Severus's hand. When the witch left them alone, Maria leaned in and gently kissed her boyfriend's lips. Then, she lay down on her bed, still holding his hand. Regulus had heard and seen everything, despite the darkness of the room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Maria woke up and smiled softly when she felt her hand touching Severus's, who was still asleep. Poppy hurried to his side and ran some tests to ensure he was okay, while she softly pushed the girl away to do her job.

"Maria!" she heard someone calling her name. It was Regulus, who had stayed the night in the Infirmary as well.

Ruiz approached the boy with a smile and greeted him, "Good morning. Are you feeling better?"

"I am, thanks. Madam Pomfrey's said that I am free to go already. The potions helped my recovery."

"I'm glad," she replied honestly. She hesitated a few seconds, but ended up asking anyway, "Does your brother know what happened?"

"No. And I'm not planning on telling him," he spoke sternly.

Maria furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Why? He should know, don't you think? You did it for your family."

Regulus shrugged.

"My brother doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

Maria missed her brother a lot. The fact that Regulus and Sirius didn't really talk to each other saddened her. She would do anything to have her little brother back, yet, these two were blind enough to ignore each other.

"But you care for him! And I'm sure he cares for you too! Perhaps you could reconcile or-"

"Forget it, Maria."

There was an awkward pause until Regulus whispered while glancing at Snape, "You should tell him."

The Spanish girl looked at him confused and asked, "Tell him what?"

"You should tell Severus how you feel," he clarified.

Maria thought she had stopped breathing. Her pupils dilated. Her heart was beating fast. She tried to fight it, but she felt the heat rising to her cheeks, turning them pink.

"W-What?"

"I saw you kissing him yesterday, you've spent all night holding his hand and you're blushing like mad. You cannot deny it, Maria."

Maria cursed herself in Spanish for being so stupid. She should have realized that he would have seen it, but she had been so worried about the accident that she had only thought about Severus.

"Look, I-"

"You don't have to be afraid, Maria. I think the feeling's mutual. Something's changed in him since he's met you. I've never seen him so happy in his life. And I can see the way he looks at you. He doesn't even look at Lily like that. Besides, I always thought you made a cute pair."

She didn't know what Severus would think of it, for they still hadn't talked about who should know about their relationship. However, after last night's events, Maria felt that Regulus was a good friend and that he deserved to know. She bit her lip and demanded, "We're friends, right?"

"Sure."

"Promise me you will tell nobody what I am about to tell you…"

The seriousness in her voice took the boy aback and he found himself nodding.

"Severus and I are dating."

She had said it so fast that he thought he had heard wrong, but the adorable blush on her cheeks told him his ear hadn't failed him. Regulus blinked and then cried out, "I knew it! I bloody knew it!" Then he frowned and wondered a little offended, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Severus and I haven't discussed if we should make it public or not yet."

"Well then, it's an honor to be the first one to acknowledge it," he replied half-sarcastically and half-truthful.

Maria bit her bottom lip again.

"Actually… Lily kind of caught us in the act."

"In the act? Oh, that's rich! I would have paid to see her face! I never thought Severus would do something like that yet. He seems the type to wait and-"

As soon as the muggleborn understood what he was implying, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Not like that! Merlin! I haven't… We haven't…"

She blushed in embarrassment as she struggled to find the right words.

"You haven't had sex yet?"

"Lower your voice, will you? I'm not about to discuss my sexual life with you."

"So there's sexual activity…" he teased. She smacked him in the arm.

"No! And I don't even know why I am telling you this. It's none of your business and you're far too young…"

"I'm only two years below you," he pouted as he rolled his eyes.

"Exactly! I already think the age of seventeen is too young for that, don't get me started with fifteen… Why? Have you already…? Wait! Don't answer that. I don't really want to know… I don't even know why I'm babbling. I never think clearly in the mornings until I get some food in my stomach," she rambled, making the snake boy chuckle. "I just meant that Lily heard him confessing his feelings and saw us kissing…"

He looked surprised at this.

"He was the one who confessed his feelings? That's a new one! I always thought he'd be too shy to make the first move."

Shrugging, Maria told him, "Well, I was the one who asked him to be my boyfriend, so…"

Regulus smirked.

"Yep! That sounds like you! So tell me, how was it?"

"How was it what?"

"The confession! Duh!" he exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Maria narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What is this? Get-information-out-of-Maria-now-that-she-hasn't-eaten-yet-and-doesn't-know-what-she's-saying time?"

"Maybe?" he answered innocently.

"Ugh! Just forget it! I'm not telling you anything else. Severus is already going to kill me!"

"Yes, he'll kill you with kisses!" he retorted diverted.

"Regulus!" she screamed embarrassed. She wasn't angry at him, but she was feeling very ashamed. "You know what? I don't have to talk to you now. Bye!"

She made to leave, but Black grabbed her wrist and spun her around. He didn't look playful or amused anymore. He looked serious.

"I'm glad you are his girlfriend, Maria. You are good to him… I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I care for you. If I got a girlfriend I would tell you everything. Well, maybe not the details, but I'd like you to know. I thought you'd like to talk to me about it too. I'm sorry I made the wrong assumption."

Maria gulped and admitted, "I'm not ready yet… It's just that this is new for me… I have never felt what I feel for Severus before, and it's a quite scary."

"Just know you can talk to me."

Maria smiled at him and thanked him. Then, Regulus got out of the Infirmary and the Spanish girl approached Severus and Poppy, who had just finished the test.

"Everything's in order, dear! You can go. We can only wait for him to wake up."

"I'll stay here," replied the girl fiercely.

"It could take a while, child."

"I don't care. I'm staying here."

Sighing, the medi-witch left them alone, but not before she saw the slytherin girl taking Severus's hand and playing with his hair.

* * *

Two hours later, Maria heard a groan coming from her boyfriend's lips.

"Maria?" he managed to let out in a groggy voice.

Maria let out a relieved giggle and caressed his cheek tenderly. Her brown eyes were sparkling, making her green bits more visible.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!"

He brought his hand to his head and hissed in pain.

"You hit your head, but you'll be fine, don't worry! You gave me quite the scare, Severus! Don't do that to me again!"

And then she kissed his hooked nose.

"I'll get Madam Pomfrey! I'll be back!"

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the incident. Halloween would take place on Sunday and all the students were excited. Time had gone by rather peacefully without Rosier, Mulciber and Avery lurking around. Surprisingly, Severus wasn't mad at his girlfriend for telling Regulus about their relationship. The witch knew he'd never say it out loud, but she had the impression that her boyfriend was fond of the young Black. Eventually, Severus and Maria agreed that only Lily, Regulus, Lucinda and Bryony should know about their relationship. The girl had insisted that the marauders should also know, but Severus had utterly refused. Their research hadn't advanced much as homework and exams had got in their way. They had had the chance to practice some Occlumency though. Maria was improving quite fast, but she still couldn't occlude well and she kept having headaches when she tried.

It was Monday. During breakfast, Severus received a letter which was carried by a brown owl. He frowned for he never got post and opened it quickly. His face revealed nothing until he reached the end of the letter, which made him smirk.

"I'm invited to the Malfoys' Halloween Feast... and I can bring a date."

"So this means we will be able to search for the Diary…" she whispered with a smirk of her own.

"And I'll talk to Lucius. I'm sure he'll find a way to get us basilisk's venom," he added unable to hide his excitement.

After the classes, the two snakes approached their green-eyed friend to let her know the good news.

"So let me get this straight… You two will sneak out of Hogwarts and apparate near the Malfoy Manor. Then you'll look for the first horcrux and try to convince Lucius to get you basilisk venom… Do you really expect me to stay here and miss all the fun?" Lily pouted.

"I can only bring one date, and Lucius knows you. He is aware of your blood status. Thus, you cannot go there."

"Maria is a muggleborn too!" she complained.

"True, but only you two know that," Maria replied with a sly smirk. "Besides, we need someone to know the plan in case something turns out wrong…"

"What do you mean?"

"She means you'll have to tell someone if we aren't back next day. The party will take place at night, just as the Feast here at Hogwarts. We will probably arrive late. If you don't spot us during breakfast, you should get to action…" explained Severus.

"Who should I tell?"

"Dumbledore," stated Maria. "We don't like it, but if something happened to us he must know everything we've been doing. Let's hope it doesn't come to that…"

Lily gulped.

"You're scaring me now…"

Severus smiled softly.

"Don't worry, I can handle Malfoy. I'm sure we'll have no problems. Trust me. I really don't want the old twat to know and he won't if I can help it."

"The _old twat,_ as you like to call him, saved your arse three weeks ago, Severus," Maria replied rolling her eyes.

"Yes, well. He's still an old twat."

* * *

Sirius was in an empty classroom brewing a potion when his friends found him.

"What are you doing?" wondered Peter Pettigrew.

Remus wrinkled his nose and answered his friend before Sirius could speak, "A love potion."

"A love potion? Why would you need a bloody love potion, Padfoot?" James asked with a furrowed brow.

Sirius blushed but didn't say anything.

"All the girls love you… I don't understand it," Peter voiced out his thoughts.

There was an awkward pause, until Remus said gently, "It's for Maria, isn't it?"

It was a question, but it had sounded like a statement. Sirius avoided his eyes and the other marauders looked at him with a mix of surprise and disappointment.

"What? You fancy Maria?!" James asked in disbelief.

"Why haven't you told us before?" inquired Peter.

Before Sirius could answer them, Remus intervened again, "Guys, you're losing focus. That's unimportant. What matters is that he is willing to give her that potion to make her fall in love with him. She doesn't deserve that…"

"It's the only way she'll notice me! Can't you see! I have to do this, and you won't stop me!" he warned them.

"Padfoot…" tried again Remus.

"Get out!"

"If she finds out she'll hate you" he insisted in a cutting tone.

Sirius ignored him.

* * *

Halloween arrived. Severus and Maria were a little nervous. They knew the Malfoys's Feast would be the key to get the basilisk venom to destroy the horcruxes. Besides, it was possible that the pureblood family had the Diary in their possession, so they could find it.

Everybody was in the Great Hall. Severus was chatting with Regulus. It turned out that he was going to the party too. Meanwhile, Maria and Lily were nattering about trivial things, just having fun, when Sirius approached them.

"May I talk to you, Maria?" he inquired politely. The slytherin noticed his hands were behind his back. It was clear he was hiding something.

Lily smiled softly at the Spanish girl, encouraging her. Maria stood and went with Sirius towards an empty corridor. Once they were alone, Sirius gave her some sweets as a gift. Maria smiled.

"Pumpkin pasties?"

"Well, it's Halloween. I thought you'd like some sweets…"

Maria giggled and replied, "I'm always up for sweets! Thank you!"

"So? Do you want to try them? I made them myself. I'm looking forward to knowing your verdict."

The Spanish girl chuckled and tasted one. Sirius's pupils dilated when he saw her eyes turning a darker shade of brown. She let the pasties fall and took a step forward towards the gryffindor.

"Sirius," she soughed in a husky voice. Her eyes were pure lust.

* * *

Severus turned his head for a moment and saw Lily chatting with Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew. Where the hell was his girlfriend? And why wasn't Black with the gryffindors? Suspicion and worry raised through his veins as he approached Lily, leaving a dumbfounded Regulus alone.

"Where's Maria? We'll have to get going in an hour…" he whispered in her ear so that the guys couldn't overhear him.

The auburn-haired girl shrugged and mumbled lowly, "Don't worry. I'm sure she hasn't forgotten, Sev. She's with Sirius." She moved her hand to indicate the direction they had taken as she said, "They went right."

The boy thanked her and wasted no time. He headed to that corridor. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. He blinked, trying to wake up from the nightmare he wished he was having, although his mind was aware that this was real. Maria and Sirius were kissing passionately. It almost looked like they were eating each other's mouths. Black's hands were roaming across Ruiz's back until they rested on her waist. Maria was grabbing his head to feel him closer. Severus heard the slytherin letting out a deep moan. That was it. He couldn't watch it anymore. He needed some fresh air, so he went outside.

He literally felt his heart breaking to pieces. He felt the beginnings of some tears forming in his obsidian eyes, but he refused to let them slid down his pale cheeks. He found it hard to breathe properly. He had been a fool all along. Why would someone like Maria fancy him? Why would someone like her love him? He was ugly and had a repellent personality. He should have known better. Nonetheless, he remembered that she had stayed when he had hit his head, he recalled how afraid she was to lose him against Lily, he could still feel her taste when she kissed him after he confessed he loved her, he saw their dates flashing through his mind, all the times she had hugged him, all the times she had kissed him and held his hand… It only made him feel worse. Had it all been a lie? A nasty joke? Severus held back a sob. He would never find happiness. Life was mocking him.

* * *

Sirius and Maria broke apart to breathe. The slytherin girl leaned in to snog him again, but the marauder stopped her.

"Is something wrong? Are my kisses too much for you?" she teased as she brushed her lips against his.

Sirius shut his eyes and swallowed his moan of pleasure.

"I-I can't d-do it."

"I'm sure you can," she retorted.

And she was kissing him again. Sirius put his hands on her shoulders and, against his heart's wishes; he pushed her away, breaking the contact.

"I can't."

"What do you mean?" she inquired with tearful eyes. "I thought you felt the same."

 _Shit,_ he thought, _what did I get myself into?_

"I do…"

In a hopeful tone, she wondered, "What's the matter then? I love you. What's wrong with two people in love kissing?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and replied, "Come with me…"

Maria smiled and asked, "Are you taking me to a secret place? Just for us? Oh! You didn't have to scare me like that then, you fool!"

She giggled and Sirius grabbed her hand, leading her to Slughorn's office. He knocked and the Potions Master eyed them both. Before he could open his mouth, the Gryffindor exclaimed, "I need your help. I made a terrible mistake, Professor."

"How may I assist you?"

"I need an antidote against this."

He took out a flask which contained the love potion. Slughorn looked horrified.

"Mr. Black, what have you done?"

"My Sirius has done nothing wrong!" shouted Maria as she embraced the boy from behind.

The wizard sighed and let them in.

* * *

Slughorn had given Maria the antidote which reversed the effects and taken some points off Gryffindor. Black had also gained detention for two weeks. The teenagers were alone. Her brown eyes were severe and her face showed disappointment.

"You were getting me back. I thought you had really changed. And then you go and do this to me…" her voice had sounded hurt and it made Sirius gulp. "Why did you do it, Sirius? Because my mind can only come up with an answer and I need to prove my suspicions... Are you… Are you in love with me?"

Sirius felt a knot in his stomach. Her eyes seemed to pierce his soul.

"I am," he confessed.

There was a long pause in which they stared at each other until she said, "I am sorry then. I do not feel the same."

Her voice had been stern and it made the animagus cringe. She made a turn to leave, but he caught her wrist.

"It's Severus, isn't it? You love him," he claimed.

When the Spanish girl faced him, her eyes were tearful and Sirius recognized a hint of vulnerability in there. Her silence spoke volumes.

"I'm sorry… Remus and the guys told me to stop it. They said you'd hate me, but I didn't listen to them. I only wanted to know what it felt like to have you in my arms… Do you think you can forgive me?"

She snorted.

"You sure ask that a lot, Black."

He avoided her eyes, regretful. It hurt him even more the way she spat his surname.

"Next time listen to your friends."

She was about to leave again when he shrieked, "Wait! I'm really sorry, Maria. Sniv- Snape is lucky to have your heart."

She bit her bottom lip and wondered, "Why did you get Slughorn? You could have had me…"

He stared at her eyes and admitted, "I felt like a loser because I knew that I would only have you using potions… I didn't want your false love. I want to have the real thing, but I guess I will never have it…"

"You and I can only be friends, Sirius. And I'm not so sure I want to have any kind of relationship with you right now…"


	20. Chapter 20

_So I've finally got a beta! I'd like to thank her for helping me :D And I'd also like to thank Schattenjagd for suggesting getting one and for pointing mistakes from previous chapters :)_

 **Chapter 20**

Ruiz went down the corridor. She felt stupid for having believed that Sirius had grown out of his childish attitude. He hadn't changed. She knew it now. She felt betrayed and she just wanted to let her emotions go, but she refused to cry over him. She took deep breaths to calm down before she arrived to the Great Hall. She spotted Lily's auburn hair and approached her immediately. The green-eyed girl saw her and excused herself, leaving the marauders alone. Both girls went to the nearest bathroom and made sure they were alone.

"Are you OK?" wondered Lily, when she noticed her tearful eyes.

"No, but don't worry. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Are you sure?" she insisted, worried about her.

"Let it go, Lily, please," she pleaded.

Reluctantly, the green-eyed girl stopped interrogating her, something which Maria thanked the stars for. More relaxed, she took out her wand and started to transfigure her school uniform. She only needed two seconds to turn it into a fancy ball gown. It was of a dark blue shade and had some silver details. Her cleavage was visible and the dress had a sweet-heart neck-line. It hugged all her curves flawlessly and it reached the floor. She was also wearing some silver heeled shoes, making her look slightly taller.

Lily gasped.

"Maria, you look absolutely beautiful! I can't wait for Sev's reaction! He'll probably faint!"

The comment made the girl smile timidly at Lily. Black's incident had already disappeared from Maria's mind. She could only focus on the party she was about to attend with her boyfriend.

"You think so? I'm not sure about the color…"

"Don't change it! You look striking in blue!" she reassured her with a smile.

Maria blushed and admitted, "I don't know what to do with my hair… And should I wear make-up? I've never liked wearing it but I feel like the occasion requires it and I don't really know how-"

"Maria, I can certainly help you with those…" she cut her off with a smirk.

* * *

Lily had lead Maria towards a secret passage to leave the school she had seen on the marauder's map. Once the Spanish girl was outside, she waited for Severus and Regulus to join her. Following Lily, both snakes reached the outdoors too. The muggleborn gryffindor wished Severus good luck and returned to her boyfriend in the Great Hall.

Maria was giving her back to the slytherins. She heard a gasp and turned around, alarmed. When she saw her friends were there, she relaxed and smiled. Regulus was speechless. Lily had helped her with the make-up. She wasn't wearing much, but it made her eyes sparkle. She was wearing contact lenses, so her glasses were nowhere to be found. Her hair was simply pulled in a classic yet elegant bun. Severus's heart was beating fast and he couldn't help but think that she had never looked so beautiful. He hated himself for thinking that. He hated Maria for making him feel like this.

"You look dashing, Severus," she mumbled with an adorable blush on her cheeks.

She wasn't lying. It was strange to see Snape in a tuxedo, but somehow, it suited him.

"You too, Regulus," she added.

Regulus was about to reply, but chose to wait for Severus to comment, something regarding her appearance before he did. It was only fitting, taking into account they were dating. However, Severus had an expressionless face and simply gave a nod. Regulus saw the hurt in Maria's eyes when she realized her boyfriend wouldn't compliment her looks, so he hurried to say, "You look absolutely stunning, Maria. Severus is a lucky guy."

Maria smiled softly at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Trying to shake her disappointed feelings off, she suggested in a bright tone, "Shall we get going, gentlemen?"

"We shall," replied Black.

They walked in an awkward and tense silence until they were far enough to apparate. Black and Ruiz grabbed Snape's arm and they appeared in front of the Malfoy Manor. They got in only to find themselves in a huge room. There were a lot of dishes which included pumpkin, apple, cookies, pies, cupcakes... The dance-floor was spacious. A band was playing music and a lot of people were already eating or dancing around. There were lighted candles which were glooming a mysterious atmosphere.

"Wow!" gasped Maria.

"Welcome to your first Pure-blood party, Maria," mumbled Regulus with a huge grin, when he saw her dumbfounded face, "have fun." With that said, he left them alone, but not before sending a confused look at Severus.

"Should we dance?" she proposed, hoping to get a positive answer.

She wasn't a great dancer, but she could follow the rhythm of the music. Besides, she really didn't care if her dancing skills weren't excellent, she just wanted to have a good time with her boyfriend.

"I'd rather eat," came Snape's cutting answer.

"Oh! Sure. OK," the girl babbled, a little disillusioned.

Maria tried to start a conversation while they ate something, but Severus didn't really pay attention to her. He only nodded from time to time. Maria was starting to feel miffed, so she blurted out harshly, "OK. Will you tell me what's gotten over you?"

Severus stared at her eyes and immediately regretted it. He had always been fond of her eyes, especially, the green bits in it, and more often than not, he got hypnotized by them. He realized that he still felt drawn by them, so he pulled on the iciest voice he could to hide it and muttered in a low tone, "Nothing's gotten over me, Ruiz. We are here to work. Remember, I must talk to Lucius and then we should look for the damn diary. We are not here to _have fun_ , as Regulus puts it."

"Well, sure, but you don't have to act so cold towards me," she argued back. She had noticed he had called her by her surname, as if putting some distance between them, and she didn't like it one bit.

They finished eating in silence, when a blond guy, who seemed to be slightly older than Severus and Maria, approached the pair. He had an arm around a blond girl's waist. Both were wearing the fanciest robes Ruiz had ever seen, and the girl had expensive jewels on.

"Severus! You came! I wasn't sure you would, considering last year you refused to…" the blond boy murmured.

"Yes, well, things change, Lucius," Snape replied. When he said the name, Maria immediately forgot their argument and focused on the task.

"Indeed," he said eyeing the brown-eyed girl. "I see you have a date… What's the lady's name?"

"Ruiz, Maria Ruiz," she introduced herself politely as she bowed her head.

He arched an eyebrow and amusedly, replied, "Well, well, Severus, you've gotten yourself a Spanish girl. Not bad."

Maria felt her cheeks heating in anger as she swallowed her indignation. He had said it as if she was a prize to be won, not a person. Severus avoided everybody's eyes.

"Where are my manners?" the pureblood exclaimed. "I am Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and this is my fiancée, Narcissa Black. We're getting married this summer."

"Nice to meet you," said Maria with a soft smile, to which Narcissa gave a swift nod.

"It's been a long time since we last talked, Severus. Come on, let's leave the ladies alone," he proposed without even questioning if the girls wanted to have a chit-chat.

"Is he always like this?" Maria wondered.

Narcissa chuckled and replied, "Sometimes, but he is a nice guy underneath."

Maria doubted it, but played along.

"Are you and Severus dating?"

"Why do you want to know?"

The soon to be a Malfoy witch shrugged and said, "Well, he was always caught up in Evans… He's never been the social type. It's strange to see him hanging out with another girl, that's all…"

"No offense, Black. Your fiancé and my date may be friends, but you and I are not. Don't expect me to open up to you so fast," she hissed, while trying to maintain a courteous tone.

Narcissa smirked and said, "I see… You can be as cutting as him. You make a good pair. By the way you talk and behave you seem to be a slytherin… Am I wrong?"

"I am a proud snake, yes," Maria replied.

"Well then, we have something in common. We may end up being friends too."

Maria was about to retort she didn't need another friend, but she bit her tongue and smiled at the pureblood witch. After all, it would be better to leave a good impression.

"So tell me something about Spain," Black suggested.

Maria couldn't be more relieved for the change of topic.

* * *

"Lucius, there is something I've been meaning to ask you…" whispered Severus, making sure nobody else could hear him.

"Straight to the point as always, aren't we? I knew there must have been some kind of reason for you to attend the feast when I saw you agreed to come; you never were the one to party, Severus, not even during Halloween. I can tell that introducing me to your Spanish girl wasn't the only reason for coming here… So what is it?"

"I need a favor…"

Lucius raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What kind of favor?"

"I need basilisk's venom."

The blond wizard stared at him with wide eyes and dragged Severus out. Once they were alone, he demanded, trying not to yell, "Why the bloody hell do you need that, Severus? Are you aware that it's illegal? It's not something one buys in the apothecary…"

"That's why I need your help. You surely have the contacts to acquire it…"

Lucius sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You still haven't answered my question. Why do you need it?"

"I'm creating a potion and it's the final ingredient," he easily lied.

"You want me to go through all this trouble for a bloody potion?" he asked in disbelief.

"I need it," Severus insisted.

Sighing, the blond wondered, "What kind of potion are you making?"

"It's a healing potion against dragon pox."

Lucius expression sobered.

"There's already a cure for it," he stated gravely.

"Yes, but you know as well as I do that some people still die. I want to avoid it."

Severus was aware that Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius's father, had been suffering the disease for a month now, it was all over the news, and everybody knew that elderly people had more trouble surviving.

"Wouldn't including venom worsen the state?" doubted Lucius.

"It may look like this _a priori_ , but my theory is that the venom could kill the virus transmitted by the Peruvian Vipertooth Dragon… Mixed with other ingredients, the effect may not be lethal for the person," he explained.

There was a long pause in which they stared at each other until Malfoy spoke again.

"If I get you the _ingredient_ , do you think you will be able to create a real and effective cure?"

"If you don't get me the basilisk's venom, we'll never know."

Severus felt guilty for using Lucius's emotions like that. However, he really needed the venom. Anyway, Lucius had always known that Severus wanted to collaborate in hospitals preparing potions for the patients. Severus's ambition had always been helping the sick with his potion skills. If he survived the war, he'd try to improve the existent cures to some illnesses, like dragon pox, and even invent new ones. Knowing that he had only half-lied managed to clean his conscience enough.

"I'll get it for you."

* * *

Lucius and Severus returned to the party. Narcissa and Maria were chatting animatedly when their dates approached them.

"Lucius, honey, I think I already know the ideal destination for our honeymoon," exclaimed the blond girl, barely containing her excitement.

"Really? Where do you want to go?"

"Spain."

"And Severus's lovely date hasn't had anything to do with it, I presume?" he teased with a little chuckle.

"Nope," Black replied innocently, making her fiancé crack a smile.

"Alright, dear. We'll go to Spain. Anything we should know, Ruiz?"

"Be prepared to endure hot weather… In summer it can be suffocating…" said Maria, after giving it some thought.

"We'll keep that in mind," Malfoy replied, "Shall we dance, dear?"

"We shall," his fiancée agreed with a bright smile, forgetting about the honeymoon.

"Save me a dance for later, Ruiz," said Lucius.

The girl smiled softly and gave a nod before they left them alone.

"Do you want to dance, now?" she asked Severus, insecure.

"No."

The last thing he needed was to feel her body close to his.

"OK. Let me reformulate the question. Will you dance with me tonight?" she demanded, this time with a sharper tone.

Severus didn't answer her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hush, Ruiz. We don't want to bring attention to us."

"Do not tell me what to do, Severus. And stop calling me by my last name!"

"I swear, Ruiz, you better lower your voice or -"

"Don't call me Ruiz!"

Severus groaned in frustration and took her to the dancefloor. It was the only thing he could think of that would manage to shut her up. He put his hands around her waist as she put her arms around his neck.

"Are you satisfied now?" he snarled, trying to ignore the feelings which were awakening in him due to the simple fact of holding her like this.

"No," she claimed, averting his gaze so that he wouldn't notice her tearful eyes.

"You wanted to dance? Here's your dance."

"You aren't even looking at me!" she complained. "This is certainly not how I had expected our first dance to be!"

"That makes two of us," he hissed bitterly.

Maria's eyes widened.

"What's wrong, Severus?"

Her voice hadn't been harsh this time. Snape detected fear, hurt and worry and he hated himself for feeling remorseful for making her feel like this, when she had been the unfaithful one. The slytherin boy decided to change the topic to shake the guilt off. He brought her closer so that she was resting her head on his shoulder. He bowed his head and murmured in her ear, "Malfoy will get us the basilisk's venom. We have to look for the diary now."

Knowing that she wouldn't be getting the answer from her previous question any time soon, she gulped and asked, "Where should we search? This place is huge…"

"Think. The Malfoys are loyal servants of You-know-who. If you were a Death Eater and were given something which your master seemed to protect at all costs, what would you do?"

"I wouldn't risk it. I'll try to keep it close to me."

"Exactly. I say we look in Malfoy's office or bedroom…"

"Fine by me," she replied dryly as the last note of the song resonated across the room.

Maria pulled away and stared at his black eyes deeply, trying to figure him out. Before she could though, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll steal her for this dance, Severus, if you let me…" Lucius murmured.

Snape gave a nod and left the dancefloor. Narcissa was dancing with her cousin Regulus. From afar, Severus could see Maria and Lucius spinning around the room. She was a little tense at first, but she let herself go and by the end of the song, she was even laughing. Snape felt jealousy filling his veins.

* * *

The dance finished and Maria approached her date. They subtly snuck out of the feast and started to wander around the Manor. Eventually, they found an office. They whispered _accio diary_ , but nothing came.

"It must be protected with an anti-summoning charm…" guessed Snape.

Maria huffed in disappointment. Both snakes looked around the room, with no success. Frustrated, they strolled down the corridors some more. Suddenly, they heard some steps. Ruiz and Snape exchanged alarmed looks and the wizard dragged her inside the nearest room.

"They'll find us!" murmured Maria. "We must do something!"

Before Snape had time to react, Maria grabbed his hands and put them over her bottom. Severus blushed and pulled his hands away.

"Dammit, Severus! There's no time to be shy now! Grab me there and kiss me like there's no tomorrow! Hurry!" as she was saying it, her hands were hastily trying to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt.

"But-"

"What else do you think two teenagers would be doing in a bedroom, Severus? Think!"

The steps were getting closer and before Snape could react, Maria was kissing him like she had never done before. Her hands were caressing all his body and her tongue had entered his mouth brusquely. He was so shocked he didn't move. She parted for a second and breathing hard, she hissed, "Show some enthusiasm, will you? It must be believable!"

And she was snogging him again. Against his better judgement, he began to respond and show as much passion as she was displaying. His hands travelled from her neck to her slim waist to her bottom. The material from the uniform was way thicker than the one from the gown she was wearing now, so he could feel her curves better. This fact didn't really help his case. When he felt her kissing his neck Severus lost it and let out a suffocated moan. He felt her smirking against his skin for a moment before she crushed her lips against his once again. Their tongues seemed to battle against each other and both were moaning deeply. Severus hated her for making him feel like this. He hated that despite everything, she managed to get such reactions out of his body. He hated that, even though he was aware that she must have done this with Sirius, at the moment, he didn't care. He just wanted her to keep doing whatever she was doing to him. Suddenly, Maria pushed her boyfriend against the mattress of the room and positioned herself on top. Snape wasn't thinking clearly. She began to kiss his neck again, sometimes biting and licking the skin there, making Snape forget about everything but her hot mouth and her soft hands caressing his torso. She didn't stop until they heard someone clearing their throat.

"You two are definitely dating," Narcissa stated with an arched eyebrow. She wasn't the only one who had caught them. Oh, no. Next to the girl, stood an amused Lucius and a shocked Regulus. "Here we are, worried because we can't seem to find you, only to see you two getting to it."

Maria and Severus blushed deeply and put some distance between them. They were flushed, panting and slightly sweating.

"Don't worry; we'll keep the secret, right?" Narcissa assured as the other slytherins nodded.

"You know, Severus, I always thought you'd wait a little more, before getting into it…" Regulus observed, while giving Maria a meaningful look. The Spanish girl blushed when she recalled the conversation they had had in the Hospital Wing.

"I guess Spain may be hot, but Spanish girls are hotter, right, Severus?" Lucius joked, making Regulus burst out laughing.

"Lucius!" babbled Narcissa as she smacked his shoulder.

"You are the most attractive girl I've ever seen, Cissy, I swear!" he assured her.

"We'll leave you to it!" said Regulus.

"Yes, after all, it's difficult to find privacy at Hogwarts…" Lucius commented. "Narcissa and I can assure you… Quidditch supplies' cupboards aren't comfortable at all…"

Severus and Maria blushed deeply and finally, the three slytherins went away. They stayed like that, on the bed and for a full minute of constant awkwardness before they reacted. They rose and Maria cleared her throat.

"Well, it could have been worse…" said Maria biting her bottom lip. "You have some lipstick on your face."

Severus tried to take it off, but to not avail, making the Spanish girl giggle.

"Here, let me help you…"

She took away the trace of lipstick from the corner of his lip with her thumb, slowly caressing the area. Snape's breath hitched the moment he felt her touch. Maria noticed it, and smirking, she leaned in to kiss him slowly. However, the black-eyed boy saw her intentions and pulled her away, too brusquely for Ruiz's liking. Before she could question him, he explained, "We must get to work."

Maria gulped and nodded. They started to look across the bedroom, which happened to be Abraxas's (who luckily was in Saint Mungo's and would never find out). Snape opened a drawer of the nightstand and smirked.

"I got it!"

Maria stopped searching in the closet and hurried to her boyfriend's side. Smiling, she spun him around and planted a firm and short kiss on his thin lips. Severus didn't realize what she had done until it had ended. Then, she wrapped him in her arms, bringing him close.

"We did it!" she soughed. "We've found it!"

Severus didn't hold her back. In fact, he briskly pushed her as far away from him as he could. He just couldn't take it anymore. Every time she touched him or kissed him, he had flashes of Sirius and Maria together, and he felt his heart breaking a little more. He wasn't meeting her eyes. If he had been, he would have seen the disbelief and the hurt displayed on them.

"Severus, look at me…"

Her voice had sounded broken and Snape felt his heart getting heavier. Slowly, their eyes met and he was surprised when he saw some tears were threatening to stream down her cheeks.

"Please… Just tell me what is it I did to deserve this…"

He didn't respond. Maria shut her eyes for a second and gulped. When she opened them again, she whispered dispirited, "You've been acting so… distant. I thought you loved me… Are you still in love with Lily? Is that it? I will understand it, really, but don't play with me anymore."

When she mentioned Lily he felt sorry for her… Did she really believe he didn't love her? Did she really think he only had eyes for the gryffindor? He was about to explode and tell her that he loved her with all his twisted and dark heart, that he always would, despite everything, and that he hated himself for it. However, when she uttered her last sentence, those words of assurance disappeared and only left in him an irate feeling running through his veins.

"Playing with you?! You're the one who's been playing with me!" he shrieked, finally letting out all his emotions. His face was flushed and he was breathing hard. There was some sweat on his forehead.

"W-what?" breathed out the girl, who, at the moment, couldn't believe her ears.

He didn't comment any farther. He just stared at her trying hard not to cry in front of her. The muggleborn took a step forward and gently grabbed his arm. Nevertheless, he moved away abruptly, as if she had burned him, and spat, "Don't touch me!"

Maria's eyes widened and she let out a gasp. She felt her heart breaking into pieces. He had never looked at her with so much animosity in his black orbs. There was a lump forming in her throat, so before she found herself incapable of uttering a single word, she murmured in a raw voice, "This is neither the time nor the place to talk about it. Let's get back to Hogwarts."

"Finally, something we seem to agree on," he snarled cruelly.

Maria took a big breath and convinced herself that he was talking like this because of the influence of the horcrux he was holding, which she was aware could change someone's behavior. Deep down though, she knew there was more to it. After all, he had acted cold towards her since they made it out of the school to attend the feast, long before getting the diary.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Snape and Ruiz transfigured their fancy robes into their slytherin uniform and left the feast without even saying goodbye to Malfoy, or both members of the Black family. They apparated as near Hogwarts as they could and walked silently to the castle. Once they were inside, Maria whispered, "We need a place to hide this until we can destroy it once and for all. Maybe the Room of Requirement can grant us that. Come on."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we'll think of something. I'm willing to give it a shot, aren't you?"

Snape started to walk in the Come and Go Room's direction, so Ruiz interpreted that he didn't have a better idea. She followed him, close behind, until they got to the seventh floor. They did the usual procedure to enter the room, which had surprisingly become a place where thousands of objects were hidden, most of them looked pretty old. Maria gasped dumbfounded.

"Look at all these things!"

Severus seemed to be amazed by the scenario as well, but didn't comment.

"Do you think this is the Room? Do you think the Room of Requirement can also be the Room of-"

"Hidden Things," he ended for her.

"Yes. We should research it. If our suspicions are correct, we are very close to getting the second horcrux…"

"Ravenclaw's Diadem…" he murmured, reflecting on the situation.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, feeling better.

Snape stared at the muggleborn witch for a few seconds before stating, "We'll look for it another day. Let's focus on the task at hand." When the Spanish girl nodded, he continued, "There are too many things in this place; we need to remember where we hide the diary."

They chose a place which was easy to memorize since it was pretty close to a damaged big old dark wooden cupboard and several rusting swords.

Before they left the room, Maria grabbed Severus's wrist and turned him around to face her. Snape looked at her, but broke the physical contact brusquely. The dark brown-haired witch swallowed the hurt feelings and demanded, "Will you tell me why the bloody hell I sicken you so much?"

Snape saw the pain in her brown orbs and he felt a knot forming in his stomach at the sight.

"I think you know why," he retorted bitterly.

"No, I really don't," she said in all honestly.

The slytherin boy only snorted and snarled, "You should. We will keep a business-like relationship, but I won't be your boyfriend anymore. I do not even know if I have the strength to be your friend."

Maria felt as if he had just stabbed her heart.

"W-what?" she said in a weak tone, trying to hold back the tears which were starting to form in her eyes.

"It's called breaking up," he spat coolly, trying to ignore the uneasiness he was feeling upon seeing her so vulnerable. He didn't like to see her suffer, but she had hurt him too. He made to leave, but Maria grabbed his arm again.

"Wait!"

"Let go of me!" he growled at her.

Her eyes widened, but she did as told.

"I really do not understand why you are doing this to me, to us! All the kisses, all the cuddles, all our dates, all the moments we spent together! Don't they mean something to you?"

Her eyes were pleading but Snape didn't open his mouth.

"I thought you loved me…" she whispered in a shattered tone, her tears running freely now.

"I will always love you, Maria, but I don't like sharing," he confessed meeting her eyes.

The moment she realized the implications of his words it was too late, for Severus was nowhere to be seen and the only company she had were old objects which had stayed there for centuries.

When Maria finally reached her dorms, she was glad that her room-mates were sound asleep. She had trouble falling asleep; Sirius's incident regarding the love potion and Severus's stinging words didn't let her. Eventually, exhaustion got the best of her, and Maria could sleep, but not peacefully.

* * *

When the slytherin girl woke up, she avoided Talkalot and Shafiq and went straight to the Great Hall. Lily sighed in relief when she saw her, contented that she wouldn't have to tell Dumbledore anything. She approached her friend and asked her, "So? How did it go? What did Severus say when he saw you?"

"He said nothing," she said in a crestfallen way.

"Oh, come on! Stop kidding! I need to know the details! Did you dance? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"We found it. And we should keep researching as soon as we can. Severus and I think we've found the Room of Hidden Things…" she murmured, intentionally avoiding the other questions.

"Where is it?" she whispered narrowing her green eyes.

"Here. At Hogwarts. We need to make sure of it, but we suppose that the Room of Requirement can transform into the Room of Hidden Things. At least, we went to the seventh floor to hide you-know-what and it turned into a place full of old objects. By the way, Malfoy will get us the venom too."

"That's amazing!" the Gryffindor cried out excitedly.

"Yes, it is," said Maria, but there wasn't much enthusiasm in her voice. "Go back to your table; I need to eat something, and so do you…"

"Sure! But you have to fill me in the details later!" she shouted as she rejoined the marauders.

Maria sighed and sat alone. Then, Severus came to the Great Hall. For a second their eyes met. The girl held her breath in expectation and hoped that everything would be alright again, but the black-haired boy chose to sit as far away from her as possible, crushing her illusion. She wasn't one to give up though, so she left the half-eaten breakfast and sat in front of him, startling him.

"Go away!" he growled.

"You don't get to order me around."

"Leave me the hell alone, Ruiz! I thought your memory was great, but I'll remind you just in case that yesterday I broke up with you" he hissed.

"You don't know what happened."

"I saw you, Ruiz!" he exploded, "You and that dork who has been crushing on you since you arrived. I should have seen it coming. Go with him," he spat bitterly.

"No! It was all a misunderstanding! I don't love him!"

"It certainly didn't look like it!"

"That's because-"

"I don't want to hear your reasons, Ruiz. And if you don't want to cause a scene, lower your voice. Now leave."

"No. Not until-"

"Dammit, Ruiz! I don't want to have anything to do with you! Forget me!"

His words seemed to be weapons and Maria held back a sob and resumed to eat in her previous seat. If she had stayed a second longer, she would have started to cry in front of everybody, and that was not something she had planned to do.

In that moment, Regulus got in the room. He looked from Snape to Ruiz and instantly knew that something was off. But what had happened? Yesterday he had caught them being… _busy,_ if one could say that. So why were they so apart? He was about to sit next to Severus and find out, but then remembered that he wasn't one to open up. Making up his mind, he sat next to the Spanish girl instead.

"Hi!"

"Hi," she said with a smile which the Black brother identified as fake.

"So you and Severus finally got to it, eh? How was it?" he wondered.

"It's none of your business, Regulus."

There was an awkward and long silence until the pureblood wizard cried out, "For Merlin's sake! Why aren't you next to your boyfriend? One would think that after yesterday's events things were going better than ever between you two! But it clearly isn't the case, so do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

"My ex-boyfriend doesn't want to see me…" she whispered so low she doubted the snake by her side had heard her, but he did.

"What? You broke up? Why?"

Maria's eyes got tearful and Regulus panicked.

"Oh! No! Please! Don't cry! I hate it when girls cry! You don't have to tell me, I don't want to make you feel worse. Just know that whatever the reason is, you have my support as a friend, OK?"

A tear escaped anyway, making its way down her cheek. She dried it before anybody else could notice it.

"Hey! He loves you! Trust me, I know about these things…"

"Oh, please! You are 15! Adults don't fully understand feelings yet you think you're an expert in the field? _¡Increíble_!" [ _Increíble_ = Unbelievable]

"I may not be an expert, but Severus had never acted so care-free since he met you… He hadn't smiled in a long time, and it was easy to see that he was crazy in love with you. I don't know what happened, but he's always been solitary, and I don't think he will like the company of the solitude now that he's tasted what having someone by his side feels like. He will realize what a fool he is to let you go away."

"Good to know there's one optimist in here," she replied sarcastically.

"I'm serious!" he said indignantly.

She smiled sadly and murmured, "I appreciate your attempt to make me feel better, but we cannot work it out until we talk."

"Then talk," he shrugged, "What are you waiting for?"

"I've tried. He doesn't even want to see me."

Regulus stayed silent for a few moments, pondering the situation, and then questioned, "Would you kill me if I asked you what happened? Why did he break up with you?"

"You have just said earlier that you don't need to know the reason…" she countered back with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but I changed my mind."

Maria rolled her eyes.

"You want to get him back, don't you? Perhaps I can help you, like you helped me. I owe you," he whispered dead serious.

The muggleborn witch sighed and explained, "You don't owe me, Regulus. You are my friend. I did what friends do."

"Then I'll help you as a friend as well! What happened?"

She hesitated and chose to reveal nothing. Sighing, the Black brother took her hand.

"Maria, I really want to help you… You…" he trailed off for a second, but Maria squeezed his hand, providing him the courage he needed to convey what he was about to confess, "You've been by my side when I most needed someone. You were my rock during that awful week, when I was so damn scared. You are more than a friend, you are like the older sister I never had."

Maria's eyes widened at his confession and her expression softened.

"Do you mean it?" she wondered in a faint voice, holding her breath.

"Yes," he claimed with conviction.

Her eyes teared up once again. Images of her little brother came to her mind, and she nearly let out a sob. Instead, she gulped and babbled, "I had a little brother once… He was your age, yet his personality was the total opposite of yours: reserved, introverted, grouchy… I loved him, but I never told him. He didn't either, but we always supported each other, and actions speak louder than words. I miss him a lot. Having you by my side has made everything a little better. We may not have the same blood and I don't want to substitute your brother, that's something impossible to do, but know that I appreciate your words, they mean a lot, and if you ever need anything, you have a sis in me."

Regulus hadn't expected such an emotional ramble out of her, but her speech made him feel warm inside. He hadn't known she had had a brother. Was he dead? It seemed so, by the way she talked.

"Thanks, Maria."

The girl smiled brightly at him.

"So now can I act like a little brother who cares about his sis? Can you tell me what happened?"

She was about to reply when she noticed they were the only students in the Great Hall, which was a synonym that classes were about to start.

" _¡Mierda!_ There's no time! We have to attend classes! I don't want to be late and it's too long to explain!" she cried out while she stood and made to go. [ _Mierda_ = shit]

"Wait! You can't leave me hanging! I'll be distracted all day by it, making up theories which will likely be wrong. You don't want your bro to fail any subject, do you?"

"Ugh! You, manipulative snake!"

"You are a snake too," he teased amused.

Maria ignored him and headed to class, but she felt Regulus grabbing her arm.

"Maria, just tell me. You can get into details later, but I really need to know what happened."

"Your _brother_ happened."

"What?! Sirius?"

But she had already entered the classroom, leaving a speechless Regulus behind.

* * *

During the classes Maria and Severus shared, both snakes sat as far away from the other as possible. The tensest moment had been in Potions class. Slughorn had instructed the students to pair up to brew an advanced potion. Lily had expected Severus and Maria to go together, as always, but Maria approached her instead.

"Pair up with Severus, please. I don't want him to be alone or to be paired up with someone he doesn't really know or he simply isn't comfortable with," she requested with a low voice.

"Why don't y-"

"Just do what I said," she commanded firmly, "Please."

Lily wanted to know what exactly had happened for Maria and Severus to behave so weird, but she knew they couldn't discuss it now. Besides, her brown eyes were pleading her and were a little tearful. She didn't want the Spanish witch to cry. Therefore, the auburn haired girl sat next to her slytherin friend, while Maria paired up with Remus Lupin instead. The marauder eyed her with confusion, but she sent him a look which shut him up and urged him to get to work. Minutes later, he wondered, "Are you OK? Not that I am complaining, but why didn't you sit next to Snape?"

The girl shrugged and mumbled, "He wants nothing to do with me. Now, can we focus on the task at hand?" Remus detected the hurt in her voice and the last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable, so he concentrated on Potions.

Lily and Severus had also begun to gather the necessary ingredients. They worked in silence and, as usual, they ended sooner than expected, with excellent results. Slughorn awarded some points to each house for their achievement and went to catch up with other students who were having more trouble.

"Sev?" wondered Lily, now that they had nothing to do but wait for the class to reach its end, "Maria told me that Malfoy will get us the venom and that you found you-know-what and hid it in a place which could be the Room of Things, which happens to be the Room of Requirement. We'll research about it this afternoon, if we don't have to study much, right?"

"Mhm," muttered Snape, neutrally.

"But there's something off… Maria avoided telling me anything else about the feast. And now you two haven't paired up. Don't get me wrong! You are my friend, and I enjoy working with you, but it was odd, I mean, she's your girlfriend! And today she seems to be a little distant and her smile doesn't reach her eyes…"

"She's not my girlfriend anymore…"

"What?" she wondered with wide eyes due to the shock she was feeling. She had witnessed the moment Maria had asked him to be her boyfriend, she had witnessed how he had confessed his feelings for her. Everybody could see that Severus adored the girl, so why would he say something like that? By the tone he had used, he wasn't kidding.

"I broke up with her, after the feast."

"Why?" she huffed, still in disbelief.

"Ask your friend," he replied, snorting.

"My friend?"

"Sirius."

"What about him? What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But-"

"Lily, I mean it. Stop it."

The hurt in his voice and the fact that she saw his eyes getting tearful stopped Lily from questioning any farther.

* * *

When classes were over, Regulus looked for his brother. He finally spotted him talking to Lupin. The corridor they had chosen was usually empty, so the slytherin guessed they were seeking for privacy. They were so engaged in conversation that they didn't notice his presence. He was about to interrupt them when he heard the topic they were discussing was Maria Ruiz. Swiftly, he hid in a corner and paid attention to what they were saying.

"So you did it?! I can't believe it! I think Snape saw you! Why else would they be so distant with each other?" Lupin hissed.

"Who knows?" Black mumbled, playing dumb and making his friend groan in frustration.

"Padfoot! She's supposed to be your friend! And Snape is her friend! She was clearly hurt when she told me that he didn't want anything to have with her."

"Well, she doesn't want to see me either, so there's not much I can do about it, can I?" he replied sarcastically.

"You don't get it, Sirius. I think he fancies her! I caught him being jealous of you once! If my suspicions are correct and he caught you two-"

"I don't care about him!"

"But you care about Maria! And she cares for him!"

"No one saw us, Remus, only Slughorn. He gave Maria the antidote, OK? It could have been worse! Stop scolding me! She isn't under the influence of the love potion anymore! It turns out that I have some morals, you know?"

"Yes, after you snogged her senseless in front of the poor boy!" he countered back accusingly.

Regulus gasped when everything began to make sense in his head. If Remus was right, then Snape must have seen Sirius and Maria together, and both gryffindors didn't really know it, but Severus loved Maria like mad, so it must have broken his heart to the point he didn't want to listen to her. Now he understood the response Maria had given him when he had asked what had happened. His thoughts were put to an end when he heard his brother shriek, "Oh, please! How many times do I have to tell you that we were alone? These are mere suppositions, Moony!"

Regulus couldn't take it anymore, so he got out of his hideout and shouted, remarking with malice the word _brother,_ "Why the hell did you do it, _brother_? You don't know what you've done to them!"

Sirius masked his surprise and yelled back, "Well, _brother_ , this is none of your business!"

"Of course it is! Maria and Severus are my friends! They were the ones that supported me when I most needed it! Where were you? Because let's face it, you may be disowned, but you knew damn well what our _dear father_ wanted me to do. He asked the same of you and that's why you ran away without looking back, leaving me and mom alone. And even if you didn't know it, you could have guessed it when you received a letter stating that father would go to Azkaban. Weren't you curious to know what had happened?"

"Don't mix things up, Regulus! This has nothing to do with family!"

"Maybe, but Maria has become a sister to me, and I hate to see her so heart-broken! Severus doesn't even talk to her!"

"That's not my fault!"

"It is when you give her a love potion and snog her in front of him! It's sick, Sirius! I know you always hated Severus, but why would you do this to her?"

"Look, I saw no one. These are mere theories! And even if they were true, why would Snape care?"

"Because he loves her! He loves her like he has never loved anybody!" he exploded, "They were dating! For Merlin's sake! He broke up with her and he won't let her explain! She's so affected she struggles to hold back her tears!"

Both gryffindors gasped in surprise. They weren't aware they had been dating. In that moment, Sirius remembered that he had told her she had feelings for Snape, and she hadn't denied it.

"Fuck!" he screamed as he rubbed his temples, frustrated.

"Yes, fuck," retorted Regulus. "You better solve it, brother. You screwed up."

With that said, he left the marauders alone, but not before hearing his brother regret, "I'm stupid!"

"No, Padfoot, you just act on impulse sometimes… Come on, your brother's right. We have to work it out…"

Before he disappeared from the corridor, he heard Sirius calling his name.

"What is it now?"

"You said you cared for her like a sister… So will you help me? I want to make things right… I want her to be happy again, even if it's by Snape's side."

Regulus sighed and after giving it some thought, he gave him a nod, which made Sirius sigh relieved and Remus smile softly.

* * *

The plan had been for Sirius to wait in that corridor while Regulus searched for Snape and brought him there with some kind of excuse while Remus did the same with Ruiz.

Remus had had it moderately easy to bring her there. He found her in the Great Hall, talking to Lily about an Ancient Runes project. The ginger girl had tried to talk to her about what Severus had told her, but the moment she mentioned their friend, Maria's eyes got tearful and the green-eyed witch decided to focus on school for the day. When Lupin approached the slytherin, he simply told her that he needed to talk to her about something. Maria had raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but followed him anyway.

Regulus had had it more difficult to convince Snape. He found him in the library, reading what seemed to be an Astronomy book.

"Hey, mate! Do you want to take a walk?"

"I'm busy," he snarled without taking his eyes off of the book.

"The book will stay in the library. No one would steal an Astronomy book, I guarantee you."

"Let me work."

"Oh, come on! I just want to talk," he exclaimed exasperated.

"I don't," he replied calmly.

Frustrated, the young Black accioed his book.

"Give it back! Unlike you, I happen to study!"

"You will study after you come with me. Come on."

"I'm not playing your games, Regulus," he huffed. "There are plenty of Astronomy books. You cannot accio them all."

Regulus took a big breath to calm down and, in a soft voice, he pleaded, "Severus, it will take just a few minutes. I swear. Do it for me, OK? I have been a friend to you, haven't I? I just want you to come with me."

Snape looked at him confused, but sighed and gave him a nod, knowing he wouldn't give up.

"But only for a few minutes!"

"Yes, yes, whatever."

* * *

Remus and Regulus took the slytherins to the corridor. The moment Maria saw Sirius there, and Severus just arriving, she let out a gasp and stood in shock. She wasn't sure if she wanted to stay or not. Severus, on the other hand, made to leave, but the young Black had seen that one coming, so he blocked his path.

"You! You tricked me!" he accused Regulus.

"No, wait! Just give them a chance to explain!"

"I don't want to hear their pathetic excu-"

"Snape! It was my fault! I gave her a bloody love potion!" shrieked the gryffindor.

This made him stop dead in the tracks. Slowly, he turned around and faced the lion.

"You did what?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

Gulping, Sirius repeated, "On Halloween, I gave her some sweets which contained a love potion. She doesn't love me. She never did. She was yours. Always."

He wanted to believe those words so much… His black eyes met her brown orbs, in search of veracity, and that's what he found, that plus the beginning of some tears.

Sirius turned to her and whispered, "I already told you so, but I'm sorry. I got carried away and I… I guess I wanted to solve it, now that I know that you two were in a relationship… I'm so sorry, Maria."

Maria wasn't even listening to him. She had her eyes fixed on Snape, begging for forgiveness. In that moment, Sirius directed his attention to the black-haired slytherin and mumbled, "I guess that you also deserve and apology for-"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence, for Snape had already punched him square in the face and threatened, "I swear, Black, if you touch MY GIRLFRIEND once again, you will regret it."

Maria held back a sob the moment he referred to her as his girlfriend. Without wasting more time, she ran to him and crushed his body against hers. Severus hid his face in her dark brown hair and breathed in her scent. The moment he felt her arms tightening their grip, he let out, "Merlin! I've been such an asshole! I've been such an utter asshole! I'm sorry, Maria, I'm so sorry!"

"You thought I was cheating on you… It's OK…"

"No, it's not. I should have never doubted you. I-"

"Severus, you saw us kissing. What were you supposed to think? I'm just glad everything will be fine again…"

"I love you… I'm sorry I put you through-"

She cut him off with a kiss. Severus sighed and relaxed into the kiss, trying to express with it all his feelings. It had only been a day, but he had missed her touch so much he didn't want to get far from her.

"It was a misunderstanding. That's all," she breathed out once they parted.

The witnesses of the corridors had different reactions at their interaction: Regulus was beaming and grinning like a fool, happy to see them together once again; Remus was feeling extremely awkward; and Sirius felt uneasy to see Maria and Severus together, and truth be told, jealous too. But the way the witch was smiling against the chest of the boy he had bullied for years made him realize that the Spanish girl would never love him the way he did her, for her heart belonged to the snake. The moment she kissed him in front of them, without a care, made Sirius turn around and leave them, hoping that Maria forgave him someday.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Homework and exams had kept all seventh years student busy for a full week. They had barely slept and all of them had studied like mad until late at night. Therefore, it was not surprising at all that Snape, Ruiz and Evans couldn't find free time in order to continue their research. The girl from the future had avoided all contact with Sirius. She saw the disappointment in his eyes every time she ignored him, but she was tired of his immature behavior. She wasn't about to let that affect her. She had a forgiving nature, that was totally true, and even Severus said he admired her for that. However, forgiving and forgetting held very different meanings. She had given him a chance after finding out that Sirius nearly killed Severus, convincing herself that he had grown out of that comportment. When he gave her that potion though, she cursed herself for trusting him. She wasn't about to make the mistake of befriending him again. She didn't need more drama in her life, thank you very much.

Luckily the weekend arrived and the slytherin couple and their gryffindor friend could finally go to the library to look for the information they needed. It wasn't long before Evans read in an old book that, as they had suspected, the Room of Requirement could turn into the Room of Hidden Things. Now they just had to seek Ravenclaw's Diadem, easier said than done. That room was full of ancient and peculiar objects. There were so many that it was a great challenge to walk through it. They had looked everywhere trying to find the Horcrux, but to no avail. They weren't discouraged by it though, for they knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them finally spotted the desired object. So that's how they spent the next week, entering the Room of Hidden Things to prowl across it and try to find Ravenclaw's Diadem. What they hadn't counted on was that James Potter had his eyes on the map, watching their steps from the library to the room which didn't appear on his source. He was fed up. The Head Boy couldn't take it anymore. Besides, the gryffindor wasn't the only person who had noticed their little trips to the magical room…

* * *

The moment Lily entered the Common Room and saw James sulking she rushed to his side.

"Hey! Something wrong?" she asked concerned.

The boy snorted indignantly, "Now you want to talk to me? What am I? Second plate?"

The auburn-haired girl furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you are always with Snape and Ruiz. Every time you have free time you go to the Library with them or to that room which my map doesn't show…"

Smirking, Evans inquired, "Are you jealous?"

"Dammit, Lily! Of course I am jealous! But that's not the point! The point is that I don't know what the hell you are doing with them! I don't trust Severus one bit, even if you and Maria do… And I have no idea what you need to do in the Come and Go Room! What's so important? What's so secretive that you cannot even tell your boyfriend about it or even let me know what's going on?"

Lily felt trapped. There was nothing more she wanted to do than to confess everything, but she couldn't betray her friends like that. She didn't like lying, and she was horrible at it anyway, so lies were not a feasible option. Not having a clue of how to proceed, she chose to keep quiet. James stared back at her until he was fed up and made to leave. Panicking, the muggleborn caught his arm while she yelped, "Wait!"

The boy stopped, but didn't turn around nor comment anything. Lily gulped and soughed, "I told you that Maria and Severus are on our side… Don't you trust me?"

James ran a hand through his messy hair in a clear sign of frustration and huffed, finally facing her, "I trust you. But that doesn't mean that I am not worried about you…"

Sighing, Lily assured him, "Hey, I can take care of myself. They are my friends. Just because they are slytherin it doesn't mean that they are evil. They are not." Noticing he still didn't look convinced, the witch continued, "I told you that they are on our side. And yes. We are working on something, but I wouldn't participate if I didn't think it is something good."

"But what is it? Why do you leave me in the shadows?" he asked, trying to conceal the impotence he was feeling at that moment.

"I made a vow. I cannot tell you anything else, I am sorry."

Potter looked at the floor for a few seconds, a few seconds that felt like an eternity to Lily until he muttered, "I still don't like it, Lily."

"I know. I wish it was different."

The air had never been so tense among the pair. Flashes of the moment Snape confessed he had broken up with Maria came to her mind. Would James break up with her just because he doesn't like Severus? Lily prayed that it wasn't the occasion. Insecurely, she bit her lip and took his hand. When James entwined their fingers instead of pushing her away, the girl let out a sigh she didn't know she had been holding. Everything would be alright between them.

* * *

It was Saturday morning. Most students spent time in the Common Room or in the Library, just laughing with friends and sometimes studying. Most students except Evans, Ruiz and Snape, that is. They still hadn't found Ravenclaw's Diadem and they decided to take advantage of the free time the weekend offered and spend a full morning, if it was necessary, trying to spot the desired object. They entered the Come and Go Room, unaware that somebody had his eyes on them.

It took the trio two hours before Maria distinguished something silver behind an old scarf. Holding her breath in expectation, she pushed the material aside, only to reveal a diadem with a sapphire and an etched inscription which said ' _Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure'_. Grinning in satisfaction, the Spanish girl let out a delighted yelp, startling her friend and her boyfriend, who were concentrated looking for the horcrux among all the old and bizarre objects, far from her.

"Guys, I've found it!"

Lily and Severus exchanged looks of disbelief and then hurried to the muggleborn slytherin. Snape had longer legs, so he arrived way sooner than Evans, while dodging all the items. Before Ruiz's mind could register it, he put his hands on the girl's cheeks and guided her lips towards his, making her eyes go wide. Her shock passed soon enough and she let herself get lost in his kiss, focusing on every emotion he was making her feel while her hands rested on his chest. When he pulled away there was a tiny smirk on his face and Maria couldn't resist but give him a sweet peck.

Lily finally reached them and when Maria saw her, she let go of Severus and crushed her friend in a hug, who was jumping in excitement like a little girl who had received the toy she wished for during Christmas.

* * *

The trio hid the diadem next to Tom Riddle's Diary and got out of the Room of Requirement. On the one hand, Lily spent the rest of the day with her boyfriend, trying to make up for all the time she hadn't spent with him. On the other hand, Severus and Maria decided to study a little more. Both were in the Slytherin Common Room. The half-blood was observing her concentrated face. He loved every little detail of her: the way she put a rebel lock of hair behind her ear, the way she pushed her glasses up, the way she absentmindedly bit her lip when she came across a complicated concept to understand, the way she nodded to herself when she finally comprehended it… She looked so lovely that he couldn't help but peck her lips in a stolen kiss. Her eyes went wild and she blushed to death, making her look even more adorable. They weren't keeping their relationship a secret since Sirius's incident, but spontaneous kisses like that still managed to flush them.

"Severus!"

"What?" he inquired innocently.

"I'm trying to study!" she replied slightly frustrated.

He chuckled lowly at her reaction and looked at her with a glow in his eyes. To his amusement, she sat farther from him, eyeing him from time to time to make sure he didn't follow her. He made as if he was focused on his Potions essay, which in fact, he had already finished. She arched an eyebrow and shook her head. Letting out a sigh, she got engrossed in the subject at hand. Smiling slyly, he snaked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders while he kissed the top of her head, making her gasp in surprise.

"Severus Snape, can you do me a favor and stop?"

He made as if he was pondering the question for a moment and before replying amused, "No." When he heard her groaning in exasperation he added, "Oh, come on, Maria! You know the Transfiguration unit by heart! You are the first one out of the class! McGonagall adores you! You don't need to study anymore…"

The muggleborn chose to ignore her boyfriend and focus on her notes. Snape wanted to grunt, but he reprimanded himself and tried to be gentler with her.

"Maria, you should really take a break… Don't you fancy taking a walk?"

Her expression softened and she let out a sigh.

"I'd love to, but I feel like I need to keep studying… Maybe another day? Please, don't be mad at me for this…"

Severus gulped and nodded at her. He was a little disappointed, but the truth was that he could never be angry at her for something like this. She was very responsible and her marks were always matching his own and Lily's, which wasn't an easy task. Besides, he liked to have a partner with whom he could have intellectual debates.

"Fine, I'll let you study… Just know that I'll be outside if you need anything, OK?"

Maria cracked a smile and nodded thankfully. Before he could leave though, she grabbed his green and silver tie and pushed him down towards her until their lips were pressed. It had been short and it certainly took Severus by surprise, but it felt amazing.

* * *

Snape was walking by the now frozen shore of the Black Lake, leaving his footsteps on the snow which covered all the school grounds. It was extremely cold, but luckily the uniform jumper and the winter cloak kept him warm enough. It was starting to get dark, although it wasn't that late. Accompanied by the sound of the icy wind hitting his face, his mind began to wander through the memories of the last months. Saying that they had been intense for the slytherin boy was a big understatement. First, a beautiful girl who claimed to be from 2016 appeared out of the blue. Then, he fell hopelessly in love with her and nearly became a Death Eater in a poor attempt to keep her safe. After it, he and Lily became friends once again.

Lily Evans. His childhood friend. They hadn't really discussed it. Evans had simply taken him back in her life, and he had been glad for that. He knew he had hurt her. He knew he should have never called her that horrible word and hung out with Mulciber's crew. Yet, there was a part of him that couldn't erase the memory of his Gryffindor friend twitching her lips and cracking a soft chuckle when Potter and his gang had been humiliating him. He didn't understand it. He decided that it was time to talk about it. They both deserved that.

With these thoughts still running wild in his head, he made his way to the warmer castle. When he reached the Slytherin Common Room he couldn't spot Maria where she had been studying. Frowning, he looked across the room until he saw her talking to Regulus. He approached the pair slowly.

"Good to see you, Severus! I actually wanted to talk to you two!" exclaimed Black.

His eyes held a little bit of anger and it made Maria take a step back.

"I've seen you," he bluntly claimed.

"Seen us doing what?" demanded Snape while rolling his eyes at lack of detail his friend's statement held.

"Going to the Come and Go Room. You know, I thought you'd get there to spend some alone time with each other… But imagine my surprise when I noticed a red-haired girl was by your side as well. What do you do there? You must be hiding something. Last week you three spent it entering that room as frequently as you could. What is happening?"

At first, Maria was speechless. She hadn't expected that. Severus was shocked too, but he managed to mask it better by replying, "It's none of your business, Regulus."

"Of course it is!" retorted the young student, "If you hide something then it cannot be anything good. You are my friends! I care for you, so out with it already!"

Snape's expression remained impassive as he murmured sternly, "We will not tell you anything, Regulus. Forget it."

The Black brother locked eyes with Ruiz, trying to convince her to reveal everything to him with his pleading look. The Spanish girl stared back at him with pity and didn't open her mouth.

"I thought we were siblings, Maria. Siblings are supposed to tell everything to each other. I guess I was wrong. You are no better than Sirius," he snorted bitterly before leaving the couple behind.

Those words had hurt Maria way more than she would have fancied and she couldn't restrain a tear from sliding past her cheek. She quickly dried it and stared at the floor.

"Hey, are you OK?"

The girl shrugged but didn't even look her boyfriend in the eye. Sighing, he put a hand on her shoulder, trying to let her know that he supported her. She seemed to appreciate it, for next thing he knew, she was putting her hand over his, caressing it while their eyes locked.

"What was that about being siblings, Maria?"

She smiled sadly and replied softly, "We have become very close… I'm sure you've noticed. He is very different from my little brother, but I'm starting to love him just as much. He feels like family. He once said I was the big sis he never had…" There was a short pause in which she took a big breath. "It hurts… There's a part of me that wants him to know everything. But I am afraid. How will he react to me being a muggleborn girl from the future?" Their fingers intertwined in a consolation gesture and the girl continued in a quivering voice, "It's just… I don't want him to d-die. If he knew and worked with us, he'd be safer… We'd keep him safe. If he roams on his own and somehow h-history repeats itself… I don't even want to i-imagine it…"

"If you want to tell him then I will not stop you, Maria," he murmured after reflecting on the situation.

"Do you think I should?" she asked, insecure.

"I think you should think about it and make a decision. I'll support you no matter what."

His words were reassuring and Maria found herself resting her head on his chest while his arms wrapped her in his arms and brought her even closer.

* * *

After dinner, Maria had told Severus that she was feeling tired and that she'd rather go to her dorms already. Snape had understood her and kissed her goodnight. He pondered going to the Common Room, but the sight of familiar ginger hair in the corridor made him forget about it. It had to be now. He chased her green-eyed girl and took her to an empty classroom.

"Why did you bring me here?" inquired Lily once they both sat down.

"We need to talk." The seriousness in his silky voice and the sober expression made the witch nervous.

"About what?"

"We are friends, aren't we?"

The girl furrowed her brow and replied unsure of where this was leading, "Yes..."

"Then we can talk about anything, right?"

She limited to nod at him.

"Good. Why did you chuckle?" he bluntly asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked. She was lost and had no idea of what he was referring to.

"Back when Potter was humiliating me, before I called you that awful word…"

In that moment it clicked. The memory came as fresh as if it had happened just a few minutes ago.

"It was a reflex, an instinct. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…" she tried to justify.

He scoffed, "Sure, because being upside down and sexually harassed isn't bad enough. My best friend has to laugh at me too to make everything better."

He hadn't told her this before because he was still afraid he'd lose her again if he did. Now though, he needed to let it out and he had felt encouraged by her words of reassurance about being friends who can chat about anything.

Lily had never looked so ashamed in her life. The truth was that she had never thought about that little detail. Nonetheless, sometimes details were significant and it was clear that Severus hadn't forgotten about that.

"I-I'm s-sorry… I shouldn't have done that. In fact, I shouldn't have stopped being your friend. I only focused on the bad decisions you were making and I didn't realize that I wasn't acting like a real friend. If it hadn't been for Maria, I don't want to imagine what would have happened…"

Severus saw the tears in her green eyes and it made him sigh. "I shouldn't have gotten close to Mulciber… And that unforgivable word should have never slipped out of my mouth."

She smiled sadly and replied, "I guess we both made mistakes… I want you to know that I am sorry though."

"I am sorry too," he mumbled after staring at her wet emerald orbs.

The witch hesitated a little but eventually, she threw her arms around him and held him close. Snape sighed and hugged her back. He was no fool. He knew that they both had acted wrong: he by getting deep into a dark path and she by leaving him alone when he most needed her. This little conversation had made him feel free of the weight he had carried all these years.

* * *

The next day, Regulus hadn't joined his friends for breakfast. He had avoided them at all costs during the day. It hadn't been until after dinner that Maria spotted the young student heading out of the Great Hall. She hurried to him, followed closely by Severus, and grasped his wrist.

"Come with us," she instructed more brusquely than intended.

"Let me go, Ruiz!"

He had spat her surname as if it was poison. The girl's eyes widened in shock, but she shook her head and yelped stubbornly, "No!"

He tried to shove her, but somehow her grip was too strong. "You don't tell me what to do!"

"I'm your big sis, Regulus. If I tell you to come with us, you will."

"Now you want to play siblings?! You only want me for some matters and exclude me from others?" he asked in disbelief. "That's not how it works," he ended bitterly.

"No, it's not. That is why I've decided to let you know about everything."

...

 **A/N:** _Hey! Sorry for the delay! University keeps me busy. I'm doing my best to keep writing, I swear. I won't abandon my stories, but updates may not be so frequent. I hope you liked the new chapter though ;)_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Severus and Maria dragged Regulus along the corridors until they found themselves in front of the Come and Go Room.

"Are you sure you don't want me to be here?" asked Severus in a low voice, so that Regulus wouldn't hear him. He was fondly caressing her cheek and looking her straight in the eye.

"Positive. This is something I have to do alone."

No matter the confidence she displayed, Snape wasn't eager to leave her alone for this. It was a difficult topic and there was no way to tell what the young snake's response at the news would be.

"He's come with us, so he will listen to what I have to say…" she assured him.

The hand that had been stroking her cheek had descended until reaching her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Snape sighed in defeat and conceded, "I'll probably go to the library then, may you require anything, OK?"

Maria nodded gratefully and pecked his lips. She watched him step away from the seventh floor and took a big breath, trying to soothe her nerves. The door opened and both snakes got in. The room looked like a copy of Albus Dumbledore's office. Finally, Ruiz faced the young Black.

"Why all this secretiveness?" he spat.

The tone made the Spanish girl cringe.

"You will understand everything later, Regulus. You wanted to know what it is that we do in the Room of Requirement. I'll tell you, but first you must know something else, and I am afraid of your reaction…"

The boy could detect her jumpiness. Her feet were fidgeting and she was biting her bottom lip. Her brown eyes displayed concern and Regulus found himself pitying her. His expression unstiffened ever so slightly and he barely nodded, but it was enough to get Maria into action. She gulped and confessed, "I am not from here."

He scoffed, "That isn't break news, you know? I detected your accent the first day we talked, thank you very much."

"That's not what I meant."

He locked eyes with her and raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"I-I am from another time… I am from the future."

Maria held her breath. Regulus stood immobile for a long time, feeling his veins being filled with humiliation and madness. He shook his head and made to leave before he did or said something he might regret.

"Wait! Don't go!" yelped Maria as she grabbed his arm.

He shoved her brusquely and squeaked, "Dammit, Ruiz! I came here for answers, but you only expected to play with me so that you could tell your boyfriend how poor innocent Regulus reacted to your stupid lies and have a good laugh! Well, I am sorry to ruin your plans but I am leaving!"

" _¡Joder, Regulus! ¡Escúchame!_ I know it sounds crazy, but this is the truth! Why do you think I was afraid of your reaction?! It was exactly for this!" [ _Joder_ = dammit; _escúchame_ = listen to me]

He was about to leave for good when Maria's words stopped him dead in the tracks.

"I can prove it to you!"

He laughed bitterly. "And how are you planning on doing that?" His tone had been mocking, but Maria didn't back down.

"I'll show you my memories."

"What?"

She ignored the question and asked, "Are you a legilimens?"

"No."

Maria nodded and declared, "I suspected it. That's why I asked the room to provide me a pensieve."

This had certainly caught his attention. His jeering attitude vanished in a fraction of time.

"What's a pensieve?"

"It's an object which permits someone to review memories…"

She approached the item and extracted her memories, putting them in a flask. Regulus watched in wonder as she poured the liquid of her supposed memories in that mystical object.

"You'll have to plunge your head in," she instructed.

She was still biting her bottom lip in nervousness, Regulus noticed. He shook his head and commented, "This is crazy, Maria."

"Tell me about it! I am the one who came from 2016, you know? It's not something easy to assimilate, and as you clearly don't believe a word I am saying, at least, do me a favor and give it a shot… Immerse your head in the pensieve. You'll understand everything, I promise."

Regulus sighed. He felt stupid, but eventually, he did as told. He really wasn't prepared for the things he saw and heard: Maria being sorted for the first time in front of an older McGonagall, Maria getting in the Room of Requirement, her awakening and encounter with Severus, Snape using legilimency on her, Maria admitting she was a muggleborn to Severus, Maria getting sorted again in front of Dumbledore, Maria and Severus telling Lily about horcruxes, the trio researching on them, Severus finding Tom Riddle's Diary at the Malfoys, and finally, Maria spotting Ravenclaw's Diadem. All those events had passed awfully fast in front of Regulus, as if he was a mere spectator, that he could barely register it all. He was sucked out into the Room of Requirement again. His heart was pounding wildly and his pupils were dilated. Saying he was astonished was a massive understatement. They stood in silence, with their eyes locked, for a few seconds until he choked, "You… You are m-muggleborn?"

She was aware this was going to be the beginning of a heated argument, but she couldn't help but blurt out sarcastically, "Really? After everything you've witnessed, that's the first thing you are going to ask me?"

"You lied to me! I understand that you kept coming from the future secret… But your blood status? Why would you?"

"Did you forget about Mulciber and company? I nearly died because of them, Regulus! What was I to do? Disclose that my parents are muggles so that they had yet another reason to hunt me down?"

"You lied about that too?!" he wailed, "You said you didn't remember who had attacked you!"

"I did it to protect myself. I did what I thought was right for me at the moment. It doesn't matter anymore, they are expelled. They cannot hurt me again."

"Which makes me wonder why you wouldn't fill me in on that important detail that you are muggleborn once they disappeared from here."

Her voice caught in her throat for a second. She gulped and confessed in a much gentle tone, "I am the only muggleborn slytherin… Mulciber, Rosier and Avery may be out of the school, but I am sure there are more students who believe in Voldemort's ideals. I wouldn't be safe. The truth is that I didn't tell you because I was afraid of losing you. You are the closest thing to a sibling I have here. You must understand that I have already lost all my family; I didn't want to risk losing you too. I know you were my friend despite believing I was a half-blood, yet half-blood and muggleborn are entirely different terms… You come from the Black family, after all, one of the most important pureblood families… And you are always chatting with slytherin students, something which implies that all your friends are half-bloods at least, not muggleborns..."

Regulus remembered the sorrowful air she had exposed when she told him she had a brother. He had believed that something bad had happened to him, that he was dead, even. But that wasn't the case. In fact, her brother wasn't even born. And she had gotten attached to him. That was why she was so afraid of his reaction. His eyes softened. The anger he had felt a minute before vanished and was replaced by understanding.

"Maria, did you believe I would stop talking to you just because of your blood?" She avoided his glance at all costs and the boy sighed, "Let me tell you something. I nearly joined the Death Eaters because of my family. I would have, had it not been for you. Sirius and I don't have the best relationship… You are the only one who supported and believed in me when I most needed it. You may not be a Black. Your blood may not be pure. But you still are that big sister I never had."

Her eyes got tearful and after some hesitation, she enfolded him in her arms while she rested her head on his shoulder. He may have been two years younger, but he was still taller than the Spanish girl. Reluctantly, she pulled away and staring at him deeply in the eyes, she inquired, "So do you believe me now?"

"I'm not gonna lie… This is still a piece of folly, but I believe you…"

She thanked him with a soft smile and explained, "Severus and I wanted to do this alone… Lily overheard us, so we had to tell her. Our mission is dangerous, that is why we told nobody else about it, that is why we come to the Come and Go Room so frequently. Promise you will take this to the grave, Regulus. The word cannot get out…"

He was about to nod, when the image of the headmaster crossed his mind.

"What about Dumbledore? Why don't you tell him? He helped us with the Dark Mark thing… His assistance could make you progress."

She sighed and conceded, "Severus deems he'd only use us… We have been doing just fine on our own until now, yet we agreed that if something went wrong, he'd have to know…"

A silent atmosphere swept over them. Regulus's mind was still running wild with unanswered questions.

"So that day, during the Halloween feast at the Malfoys, you only went there to get that Diary?"

"Yes, for that and to convince Lucius to get us basilisk venom."

He raised an eyebrow and teased with an amused expression, "So you and Severus weren't really having sex when we caught you, right? It was all an act… I noticed he had been distant with you during the feast… My brother's doing, mind you? But still, he seemed to be enjoying…"

Maria blushed to no end.

"Why do you keep asking me about sex? It's unbelievable! I have just told you I come from 2016 and what you want to discuss is an assumption regarding my sexual life. Severus and I haven't even done anything yet!"

He looked smugly at her, "Yet, eh?"

Ruiz decided to change the topic before she got even more embarrassed, "I am sorry I lied to you, Regulus…"

"I understand."

"Good. Then you will also understand that you must not tell anybody about it, not even Dumbledore. Just let Lily, Severus and I work…"

"Well, I am sorry but I am about to disappoint you. I will not let you three work alone. We are siblings. I am not letting you do all the hard-work and save the world so that the praise goes only to you. We must share," he joshed in a cocky tone as he raised an eyebrow, "So tell me, when are we meeting to research?"

Maria's response was simpering like a fool.

* * *

Christmas break was coming. Only one more week and students would be free, as long as the teachers didn't give much homework, that is. Maria and Severus were in the Room of Requirement practicing occlumency. She had improved quite a lot and the headaches had turned weaker as she got used to blanking her mind from thoughts and feelings.

The Spanish girl prepared herself before her boyfriend muttered, "Again. 1, 2, 3. Legilimens!"

He saw nothing. Her mind was sealed. Snape looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes as a smirk developed on his features. He didn't comment, but Maria opened her mouth and bragged, "So I've finally succeeded. And I don't even have a headache."

"It looks like it…" he chuckled.

"Thanks for teaching me. See? I told you that you wouldn't make such a bad teacher…" she teased, remembering a conversation they had a long time ago.

Snape blushed slightly and mumbled, "Maria, you are the best student a teacher could ask for… There is no way I would have been able to teach occlumency to anybody else. We should keep practicing though. Occlumency isn't only about blocking a legilimens. It also requires selecting memories, which can be invented, and letting them see what you want them to see."

Maria nodded in understanding. Silence huddled them like a blanket until the muggleborn asked, "Severus, we should talk about what we are going to do this Christmas break… It's next week… I am not sure we should spend it at Hogwarts. My guess is that not many students stay in school for holidays, so we will be more controlled. If we decide to do something related to our _mission_ , Dumbledore might catch us. I may know the basics of occlumency now, but I don't want to risk it."

"What do you suggest?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. He didn't like where this was leading to.

"Well, I obviously have nowhere to go, so that leaves only one place…"

She was staring at him intently, and even though she mentioned no place, Snape read between the lines.

"Absolutely not!"

"Hear me out!"

"No way! We are not staying at my home for Christmas. Ever since I came to Hogwarts I have stayed for every break here, save for summer. That is the only time I go back to that rotten place."

"But-"

"Dammit, Maria! Forget it!"

He made to leave to avoid arguing any farther, but Maria screamed, "Don't you dare leave me behind, Severus. We are going to talk about this, like it or not."

Ever so slowly, he turned around and locked eyes with her. Maria wasn't finished, so she kept prattling on, "You said something about a Dark Arts book to find out about the fire spell to destroy horcruxes, in case Lucius doesn't get us the basilisk venom… There are no books like that in the Library… If we went to your place, we could finally know the bloody spell."

Severus sighed and said, "We don't have to go there to get the book… Owl post exists."

"Right. That is why you haven't sent the request yet…" she replied sardonically as she put her hands on her hips.

"You know nothing, Maria," he snapped more brusquely than intended.

The girl's eyes widened at the tone. Severus detected the hurt in her eyes and frustrated, he passed his hand through his black hair. Damn his hormones. Whenever he felt attacked or angry, stupid comments slipped out his mouth. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and in a softer voice, he mumbled, "Magic isn't tolerated at home. It is not easy for me to send anything to my mother… She hasn't been feeling well lately… If father saw the owl and something happened to her, I would never forgive myself… I will go home and get the bloody book, but you won't come with me."

Persistent as ever, she whined, "Like hell. If the situation is as bad as you put it, then you will need my support…"

"Maria… If you came, then father would know that you are a witch… He isn't keen on magic. I don't want to put you in danger…" He was caressing her cheek fondly now and his expression was sober.

"I am a big girl, I can take care of myself and make my own decisions! You are my boyfriend, I care for you! I won't let you go there alone and that's final," she replied mulishly.

 _Damn her stubbornness! Damn her for caring so much!_ thought Snape. Feeling cared for was something he still was learning how to handle. Severus dropped his hand and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his black pools were flooded with unshed tears. Maria had never seen him so vulnerable, thus she instantly went into protective mode.

"Severus, what's wrong? You can tell me anything, you know that."

Her voice had been gentle and concerned, and she had somehow managed to hold his hand and tangle their fingers. The boy felt encouraged by the gesture, so he gulped and admitted, "I don't want you to see where I live."

"Severus-"

The concerned look in her eyes made him explode and confess for the first time just how bad it was to live in Spinner's End.

"You don't get it! Father beats mother! Her magical core is getting weaker… It's like she's being consumed, like he's sucking the energy out of her. She doesn't want to leave my father because despite everything, she thinks she loves him… And we are poor! I have always been poor and there's not a bloody thing I can do! It's not like mother could get a new residence, not like I can pay her that, even if I somehow convinced her to abandon Spinner's End. I don't want to get you in this mess… Please… I don't want you to change the way you look at me…"

A single tear was streaming down his cheek as he tried desperately to compose himself and blink away the other tears. Maria sighed and hugged him. He didn't reciprocate, but the Spanish girl was patient. She knew that the physical contact soothed him.

"Severus, do you really believe I'd stop caring about you if I saw firsthand what goes on at your place? Do you think I'll stop cherishing you just because you don't have much money? I wasn't rich either, you know? I understand you… I was always the girl who couldn't hang out with my friends and eat out or go to the cinema, buy new clothes or simply go on a trip. We had no money to do that… Don't get me wrong. It wasn't always like this. When I was a child I had everything I required. However, our family business wasn't doing very well since I turned eleven, so we only had the basic needs covered, sometimes not even that." Severus remembered an occlumency lesson in which Maria didn't appear happy in the memories. He recalled it well, since it was the day she found out about his childhood. In the flash, Ruiz actually looked like she was trying to be strong for her family. It had been the only memories of a teenager version of the Spanish girl, the only memories she wasn't beaming. He had never asked her about it, but was sure it had something to do with everything she was saying. "I am used to working hard to get what I need. I am used to going to school thanks to grants. I am used to fighting for what I want. And I want you. I want you no matter what you say or think. I never had the problems you have at home, so the last thing I will do is judge. If it means so much to you, then we can visit them just for a day, in order to get the book… But don't ask me not to come. I cannot leave you alone in this. Can't you see? I am your girlfriend. We are stuck together."

By the end of her speech, Severus's hands had settled on her waist as his hooked nose hid on her neck. He was breathing in her scent which had managed to appease him. Snape was the one who pulled away, but kept his eyes on hers.

"If it gets nasty, we leave, OK? I'd rather bear with Dumbledore than my father…"

She gave him a rueful grin and nodded. Snape stared at the ground, feeling ashamed because of the emotional tantrum he had just displayed, but Maria cupped his chin and guided him until their lips met. It was almost a chaste kiss, short and sweet, but it gathered all the feelings they had for each other.

"I know that you still don't like the idea. You once told me that nobody knew about your situation at home, so thanks for trusting me with this… I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have been to keep all this to yourself for so long… You are the strongest person I know, Severus. I am proud of you. I love you."

The two last sentences made him meet her intense gaze. Nobody had ever told him they were proud of him, and even less they loved him. In fact, it was the first time that someone had uttered the words to him. Sure, Maria had demonstrated that she did, but she had never explicitly told him. Snape was feeling overwhelmed. He felt his heart fluttering. He had suddenly forgotten how to breathe.

Guided by his emotions and impulses, he put his slightly trembling hands on her cheeks and snogged her like there was no tomorrow. Maria's hands found his neck as the kiss became more and more passionate. His hands descended, grazing all her body through the fabric, until they settled on her waist and pulled her even closer to him. Before they could deepen the kiss, he broke their embrace and panted, "I love you too, my _Spanish princess_ …"

The way he stressed the words and the smirk on his face told Ruiz that he had only used that nickname to tease her, so she rolled her eyes and grunted, "Oh, shut up and kiss me!"

Needless to say, Snape happily complied.

* * *

It was Sunday morning and Severus and Maria had already done all the homework, which meant that the snakes could spend some quality time together. They went outside. Ruiz's face lit up when she noticed some snowflakes caressing her cheeks.

"You know, in Barcelona it didn't use to snow, and when it did, it never curdled…"

"What?! So you are telling me that you never built a snowman or had a snowball fight?"

Every year Lily and Severus got caught in a battle of snowballs before competing for the best snowman. Well, at least that was a tradition that lasted until fifth year. It was hard to imagine that someone had never played in the snow.

"I've never had the chance…" she murmured, glancing at the snow that was covering her footwear to dissimulate her flushed cheeks.

A smirk settled on his features, and before Maria knew it, something icy hit her square in the chest. She inhaled sharply as he chuckled at her stunned expression.

" _¿Pero qué narices? ¡Severus Snape, te vas a arrepentir!"_ [= What the heck? Severus Snape, you will regret it!]

He understood his name only, but by the pout and the tone she pulled, he guessed that he better hide and build more snowballs or he'd suffer firsthand the rage of the Spanish girl. And he was right. Soon they were engaged in a snowball fight.

"Bloody hell, Severus! I have never done this! Have pity!"

He simply chuckled and kept throwing balls at her. She hurried to shield from the attack behind a big bush. Snape smirked and worked on building more snowballs, but when he raised his eyes, he was face to face with his girlfriend, who was holding a snowball in her lifted hand. Before he could react, slush was covering his face. He gasped and shuddered because of the cold sensation. However, Maria burst out laughing, and he suddenly felt warm and fuzzy, despite the wintry weather.

"Here, let me help you…" she babbled as her chortles subsided. She took away her slytherin green gloves and stroked his face, setting aside the snow. His breath hitched and his eyes were glaring at her deeply. Maria noticed it and leaned in ever so slowly. Snape closed his eyes in anticipation, and just as he felt her hot breath on his cold and needy lips, they heard someone yelping, "Here you are! Lily and I have been looking for you!"

Severus groaned in frustration and Maria bit her bottom lip.

"Hi, dear brother. Thanks for interrupting us…" muttered the Spanish girl ironically.

"Oh, come on! You know you are my favorite couple of the planet! But we must talk… What are we going to do this winter break? It's in three days, you know?"

"Yes. Will you stay at Hogwarts?" asked Evans.

Maria and Severus exchanged looks and finally, the boy muttered, "We'll go to Spinner's End for a day or so, and then we'll spend the rest of the holiday here, trying to avoid the old twat… At least, that's the idea."

"Ever since we've been at Hogwarts, you haven't returned back home for the Christmas holiday, Sev…" observed Lily.

"I have a book at home which could help us with the research," he limited to say.

The gryffindor arched an eyebrow and Snape rolled his eyes before adding, "And Maria kinda convinced me…"

The witch let out a chuckle and said, "Yep, that sounds more likely…"

"Why will you stay only for a day? Why don't you go back home for Christmas?" wondered Regulus.

"It's none of your business," hissed Severus.

The Black brother raised his hands in a defensive mode and blurted out, "OK, mate. No need to be so cutting. Anyway, what am I supposed to do? Perhaps we could go and get Marvolo Gaunt's ring. We know the town, after all."

Soon, the teenagers agreed to go to Little Hangleton before going home. Hopefully, they'd find another horcrux there.

Maria and Severus were about to head towards the castle when something frosty hit them. They could do nothing but puff and stare with wide eyes at Lily and Regulus, who weren't reprimanding their guffaws. There was a glimmer in Lily's eyes as she babbled, "Oh, come on! Did you really think we'd go back before having a proper snowball fight? It's tradit-"

Severus silenced her with a snowball. That was the beginning of their playful fight. For a few minutes, they were mere teenagers enjoying the snow. For a few minutes, they weren't carrying the weight of the world knowing that their intervention could save or kill lives.

...

 **A/N:** _Sorry for the delay... I've updated this chapter as soon as I had the chance. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it :)_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

When the three snakes and the lioness got to Little Hangleton, they asked an old man who was passing by whether he knew about a shack from nearby. The man looked at the quartet shadily, but pointed out the path anyway. They headed towards that direction, but not before catching the villager muttering under his breath that they'd find nothing in there, only dust. Soon enough, the teenagers found themselves in front of Gaunts' place. That neighbor from Little Hangleton was right, the place was terribly filthy and old, and it appeared like it would fall down any time. Undoubtedly, it had been years since somebody took care of it. The building radiated a creepy air that made the adolescents flinch and shudder. They stood still for some seconds, staring at the etched serpent on the door, a reaffirming signal they were in the right spot; the shack where the last descendants of Slytherin had lived. Severus was the first to react and whisper _alohomora_. Luckily, it did the trick, and the Hogwarts students went in, swallowing their nerves. Lily tried to _accio_ the horcrux, but it proved useless, just like last time with the Diary in Malfoy Manor.

"It will be easier and faster if we separated to look for the horcrux," pointed out Ruiz in a business-like manner. When her friends nodded in acceptance, she advised them, "Don't put the ring on if you spot it."

"Why not?" questioned the youngest of the lot.

Ruiz's History Professor had explained in her class that the ring had been destroyed by Albus Dumbledore with the basilisk-venom-tainted Gryffindor Sword, in Gaunt's shack. By 2016, everybody knew that Snape had spied for Dumbledore, even though he had killed the man. Harry Potter had insisted several times that it all had been part of a plan, that Albus had asked his spy to kill him, that he was dying as a side-effect of destroying that horcrux anyway. The side-effect could simply mean that destroying the ring had drained Dumbledore, who was an already old wizard by then. Somehow, Maria's mind presumed that the side-effect Potter was referring to was a curse, so she mumbled, "Because I think it is cursed."

"You think it or you know it?" insisted Regulus, as if it really made a difference.

"It's my theory. Are you willing to test it?" she teased with an arched eyebrow.

"No, thank you very much. I happen to value my life," responded the young snake, whose face had lost all its color.

"I thought as much," the witch replied, somewhat amused. "Come on, let's get to work."

They needn't be told twice. The four of them sought the charmed jewel in different parts of the shack, thoroughly inspecting every single corner. Hope was beginning to fade away when a cry from Regulus informed the others that he had found the ring. They all agreed that it was better for Severus and Maria to keep it. After all, it would be safer if there were two people watching over it until they could hide it in the Room of the Hidden Things, instead of one person. Little did they know.

* * *

Maria and Severus were at the front door of the Snapes' home in Spinner's End. The street seemed to be colder than the rest of the town. Nobody else was there, giving the neighborhood a ghostlike appearance. The Spanish girl shivered, although she wasn't sure whether it was because she was about to meet Mr. and Mrs. Snape, because of the wintry weather, or because of Spinner's End in general. Snape noticed her discomfort, whatever its cause was. What gave her away was that she was biting her bottom lip, as she usually did when nervous.

"Maria, are you alright?" His voice held concern and truth be told, some uneasiness as well.

"Just a little jumpy. I mean, I am about to meet your parents and it's only been a few months since we've been together…"

He looked relieved, as if he had waited desperately for some kind of excuse to turn around and forget about Crokeworth. Her answer fit the role seamlessly.

"We can wait if-"

"Severus, I can handle some nerves. I'll be fine."

For a second, Maria got the impression the boy was even more on edge than her, so she clasped his hand between hers and gave him an encouraging smile that made his heart skip a beat. His deep dark eyes fixed on their intertwined fingers before locking with her warm gaze. Snape was practically hypnotized by the green sparks in her chocolate eyes when he felt their fingers disentangling and saw her hand lifting to knock.

"Wait!" he hissed, not masking his fear. "My mother is-"

"She isn't feeling well. I am aware."

He shook his head.

"My father-"

"I know, Severus. He is not the ideal parental figure. It's OK. I will not judge you."

His eyes still showed worry, so Maria kissed his cheek tenderly and whispered in a playful tone, "Severus Snape, I would still love you if your parents were a troll and an acromantula, so move your arse and introduce me to your family already."

He was speechless. A troll and an acromantula? Really? He would have chuckled had it not been for the word _love_ coming from her lips. It was the second time she had voiced her feelings, even if she had half-masked it with a joke now, and Snape didn't know how to react. He was torn between smashing her against the door and snogging her until she was breathless, or asking her to say the phrase ' _I love you'_ again, just to make sure his ears hadn't betrayed him. He did none of the above. Instead, he gathered the courage he needed and knocked. Some unintelligible shrieks were heard before the door was open. They stood facing a woman who resembled Severus an awful lot. The only difference was that her nose wasn't hooked and that her somehow angular yet feminine face held wrinkles. Snape hadn't exaggerated when he told Ruiz that his mother wasn't feeling well. The poor woman held a weary look that made the young witch feel like hugging her and help throw her pains and worries away. Her exhausted appearance switched the moment her brain registered who was there.

"Severus…" she soughed, disbelief engraved on her features.

"Mother."

When she heard his voice, her onyx eyes shimmered and beamed. She suddenly looked younger, energized. Mrs. Snape's hand lifted ditheringly, until it rested against her son's cheek, caressing it fondly. It wasn't something she did much, showing affection, and the half-blood felt somehow awkward, especially because Ruiz was witnessing it.

"You came… You never come home for Christmas."

"Well, I wanted you to meet somebody."

It was then that Eileen saw the brown-haired teenager. Her eyes travelled from Maria's to Severus's several times, finally settling on the girl's.

"I'm Maria. Nice to meet you."

Her hand was extended. Wavering a bit, Eileen shook their hands and looked in wonder at the pair, as if waiting for an explanation.

"She's going to spend some time here," provided Severus.

His mother's expression turned into a sober one in a fraction of time.

"Your father's here."

"I know."

"And you still invited her?" she grumbled, "I bet she is a witch. You know how Tobias feels about that. Your friend can't stay here."

Ruiz hated when people spoke of her as if she wasn't there. In spite of it, she controlled herself and commented nothing, letting Snape do the talking.

"That's too bad, because _my girlfriend,_ who just happens to be an outstanding witch, is staying at least for the night, whether you like it or not."

Some butterflies entered Maria's stomach at the compliment, while Eileen's eyes widened to the point her eyes looked like endless pits.

"Girlfriend?" she breathed out.

"That's what I said."

Mrs. Snape's expression unstiffened as she studied the girl once more.

"You study at Hogwarts, I presume. Which house?"

"Slytherin, and proud."

The woman's mouth twitched upward at the boastful response. Now Maria knew where her boyfriend's famous smirk came from.

"I was a slytherin as well," said Eileen with nostalgic tone in her voice. It soon became a bitter one as she warned, "If you stay here, then you will not perform magic."

"Not a problem. I am used to working the muggle way."

The blunt answer surprised the woman, who let them come in as a thousand qualms wandered through her mind. The Spanish girl noticed at first sight that the house wasn't decorated with Christmas ornaments. There wasn't even a Christmas tree. She could also see that it was a very humble place with hoary furniture. Before the pair could enter the living room, where Tobias was, Eileen grabbed Severus's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Be careful. I don't want anybody hurt."

He nodded and they finally stepped in.

"Who knocked? What did they-"

Mr. Snape trailed off as he caught sight of the youngsters, preceding an uncomfortable silence. The hooked-nosed man was giving Maria the once-over and the girl already felt uneasy. Severus noted it and put a hand on her waist, trying to appease her. The gesture made Tobias sneer, "Well, well, _son._ What a surprise. It looks like you've gotten yourself a girlfriend. Who would have thought that anybody would see something in a freak like you?"

Maria's stomach twisted. Severus let go of her and clenched his fists painfully, turning his knuckles white. Tobias tantrums didn't stop here though, "I cannot see what somebody like her saw in somebody as pathetic as you…" There, talking as if she wasn't in the same room and insulting the boy she loved. It unnerved the Spanish girl to no end. She was doing wonders to hold back anger, a complex task, taking into account that the pocket of her muggle jeans contained Gaunt's Ring. She could feel herself on the verge of screaming. "Did you give her one of those beverages you make to compel her to fall in love with you?"

That did it. Ruiz simply couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes had seldom been so enraged as when she blew up in a dangerously low voice, "He didn't need one."

It only served to amuse the man farther. "Oh, she can speak, and she seems to have a temper. Nice accent, by the way. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

Maria knew she was losing control, so she inhaled and exhaled deeply in an attempt to relax, before responding, "I'm spending the night here, with _myboyfriend_ , your son."

He locked his grey eyes with hers, and stayed quiet for a few seconds, until he deduced, "You are one of them; you are a witch."

"Yes."

"Then get out."

"No," intervened Severus, who was clearly making an effort to keep calm, yet not succeeding.

"This is my home!"

"This is my home too!" he screeched, panting sharply, "She will stay, and you better not touch a hair of hers or of mother's while I stay here!"

Mr. Snape didn't have a chance to reply. His son had dragged his girlfriend upstairs. Eileen's eyes were piercing Tobias', as if she was reproaching his bad attitude. They stood still for a few minutes, until the muggle snorted, "Tell me whatever it is that's bothering you, woman. I don't have all day."

Eileen gulped and hesitated for a full minute before whispering, "You better behave, Tobias. Severus has never invited anyone here, not even that Evans girl he was so fond of. Maria must mean the world to him, and she seems to care for him as well, if the way she exploded wasn't of any indication."

"So what?" he growled.

"So be happy for your son and apologize. The girl is aware that magic isn't tolerated here. She guaranteed me she is used to working the muggle way, there shouldn't be any incidents."

The man observed as his wife retired to do some chores. He sat down with a scowl on his face and resumed to watch TV, even though his mind wasn't paying attention to it, nay he was mulling over Severus and that girl with an accent. He didn't realize it, but the leer he had pulled since their intrusion was slowly softening. Why was he feeling remorse? Mr. Snape sighed and before he could regret it, his legs lead him towards the library, where he could hear the voices of the youngsters. He was about to knock and apologize, when their chit-chat caught his attention. He leaned closer to the door in order to pick up what was going on.

"This spell is our last resort. I prefer waiting for the venom… By the way, are you completely certain this is a good place to hide this?" the feminine voice whispered.

"Positive. The book is enchanted to look like a recipe manual for the muggle eye. My father never does the cooking. He won't find it," Tobias heard his son assuring.

"And what about your mother? What if she takes the book and sees the ring?"

A ring? Tobias gasped and tried to get every single detail of the conversation, ignoring the fact that he had heard words like _spells_ and _enchanting_.

"My mother can't do magic anymore, remember? She won't take the book for that, and she has never required a book to cook. We know the spell now; we could go if you wish."

"Severus, did you see your mother's face when she recognized you? She was surprised, but pleased. Happy, even. If we left now, it would break her heart."

"But my father-"

"We can deal with him. It's OK. You warned me. I shouldn't have exploded like that because of his comments..."

"You had the ring, Maria. Merlin knows that had I been the one to keep the damned horcrux, things would have gone ten times worse. You did great. Besides, my father was right about one thing, you have a temper. You always speak up for what you believe in, that's what Mulciber, Rosier and Avery couldn't stand about you, yet that's one of the things that I admire the most about you."

There was a brief pause. Irked, Tobias tried to look through the door grille. He saw their closely embraced figures sharing a short kiss and he was at a loss of what to think, honestly. It was one thing hearing them say they were together, but it was a very different one actually seeing them.

"My father was right about your accent, too. It's nice, and dare I add, sexy as well, especially when you use that voice of yours to sing," his son flirted with a smirk.

Ruiz slightly blushed and hit Severus's shoulder playfully, gaining a low chuckle from him. Seeing him acting so lighthearted around her, despite the rocky encounter they had just had with Tobias, made the girl simper and glance at him with a special glitter in her eyes. Severus returned that look, put his hands on her cheeks and slowly guided her until their mouths collided again. The kiss was unrushed, but managed to leave them out of breath anyhow.

"You know? Everybody believes you are cold and distant, but you couldn't be sweeter."

"Maria!" Severus hissed in embarrassment.

His girlfriend's giggle made Severus forget about any shame and gave her one of his rare but truthful smiles that meant everything to Maria, even if he wasn't showing his teeth. It had been years since Tobias had seen his son grinning. The muggle felt guiltiness filling his veins, even if he didn't comprehend the reason. Or perhaps he did. He simply didn't want to acknowledge it.

"So what about a tour around the house, mmm? I have only seen the living room and the library…" Maria urged curiously.

"There isn't a lot to see…"

"Still…"

Suddenly scared they may open the door and catch him eavesdropping _in fraganti_ , Mr. Snape skedaddled and sat once again on the living room sofa, pretending to be enthralled by the soccer match they was emitting. His mind couldn't be farther from that sport event.

* * *

Dinner time came. Eileen had looked for the young pair to let them know they should go to the kitchen already. She appeared like she wanted to tell them something, but eyed them apologetically and uttered nothing. Severus took notice that his father's drink was water, not beer. It was odd, but he chose to ignore that and keep eating. An awkward silence occupied the room during the first part of the meal, until Tobias astonished them all by saying, "All of you deserve an apology. I shouldn't have said any of those things when you came. I was shocked, that's all."

Eileen looked at him with a proud smile on her worn-out features. Maria nodded and gave him a barely visible grin, appreciating the gesture. Yet, Severus didn't react. He didn't know how to, he didn't believe his father was being sincere anyway. Tobias had expected something out of Severus other than the silent treatment. Nevertheless, his words had served to crack the tense environment, as Eileen asked the young couple, "How long have you been an item?"

"Practically since the course began…" offered Maria, when she realized that Severus wasn't about to answer her.

"Oh! And how did you meet, exactly?"

The girl couldn't tell them the truth and she saw how Severus nearly choked at the question. Maria thought fast and didn't let the panic she felt show on her face as she made up, "Well, it was kinda awkward, so we prefer not talking about it…"

Relief washed over her boyfriend's face. Mrs. Snape looked slightly amused by it, but didn't dig in deeper. Luckily, the rest of the meal wasn't as uptight.

* * *

"Severus, where are you going?" wondered Ruiz, who had her pajamas on and had just brushed her teeth.

"To the sofa," he shrugged.

Maria eyed him with a raised eyebrow and teased, "I don't want you crankier than usual tomorrow morning due to lack of sleep, Severus."

"There are no other places to sleep in this house."

"What about your own bed?" she asked, rolling her eyes, as if that was something obvious.

"Then you would have to be the one sleeping on the sofa, and I'm not letting you," he claimed as an ultimatum.

"Severus Snape, tell me your age, please," she demanded, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow arched.

The boy looked at her muddled, but provided an answer anyway, "17."

"So am I. If I recall correctly, that makes us adults. We are grown-ups; we can share your bed."

Severus gulped and turned scarlet, his eyes travelling throughout her body, resting more time than necessary on her chest and lips before looking her in the eye again. Pajamas may not be considered something utterly seductive, but Snape simply couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Maria, I…"

"Shut up and get to bed. I am bloody tired and I am sure you are as well," In a gentler tone, she added, "Please. I appreciate the gesture, but you won't be able to rest on the sofa. Just come here. You deserve to sleep. The bed isn't big, but I am sure we'll fit in just fine."

Severus's throat went dry when he found himself lying down next to the muggle-born witch. The lights went off and the room turned gloomy, slightly lit up by the colorful glow of Christmas lights and street lamps that emerged from the blind holes. Maria had been right, they fit in just fine in there. Their bodies weren't touching, yet Snape could feel her warmth effortlessly. Some minutes passed until he heard her shyly asking if he was awake.

"Mmm?"

"Do you mind if I come closer and cuddle you? I always wanted to try that…"

The half-blood wizard was silently thankful she had asked for that, for he had been craving to clutch her in his arms and never let her go. He had just been too bloody ashamed to ask for a snuggling session. Trying to mask his satisfaction, he rolled his eyes and joshed, "Of course, the Spanish Princess is a fan of hugs! How silly of me to forget that!"

"Severus Snape, I swear, if you call me that one more time I will-"

"You will what? Kill me with tickles, like you threatened that other time? It didn't really end up well for you, did it?"

Maria chuckled heartily. She recalled perfectly well that one time Severus almost kissed her after an endless tickling torture. That was one of her fondest memories she had created since she came to the 70s, despite that Filch and Mrs. Norris had ruined the mood. It had been the first time Snape had acted so carefree around her, the first time he had really laughed with her.

"I love you," she blurted out dewy-eyed, before she even realized it. It was still the truth though, and Snape couldn't help but feel his heart stop. Sweet Salazar, she was going to be the end of him, of that he was certain. He was torn between snogging her and asking her to repeat the phrase again, just like that same afternoon. He chose the second option.

"Say it again."

"I love you," echoed Maria, this time fully conscious.

She looked so beautiful with her features illuminated that, by simply studying her face, Severus could feel himself falling deeper in love with her. Ruiz was a bewitching girl, fierce yet gentle, sassy yet kind, chatty yet a good listener, cute yet tough. She was a perfect mix of contradictions, and Snape found himself wondering every day why the hell the odds had smiled down at him and granted him with this charming witch who claimed to love him. He just couldn't help himself. He slithered a hand and placed it on her neck, slowly massaging the area, as his other hand brushed her fleshy lips with his thumb. Her mouth went ajar. He felt her hot breath slightly hitching, her chest going up and down unevenly. He gulped at the sight. Then, Snape reached up and traced her jawline before bringing her towards him and joining their lips in what would turn out to be one of the sweetest yet most passionate kisses they had ever shared. There was only one thing on his mind when the kiss was over, he needed another one.

He rolled them over until he was on top of her and snogged her again, carefully supporting his weight with an arm as his other hand toyed with her dark brown tresses. Maria complied and even snaked her hands behind his back, grazing him through the fabric of his sleepwear and gaining a low groan from him when her fingers got under the material and touched his skin. Maria grunted in disappointment when he abandoned her lips but was greatly surprised when his mouth focused his attention on her neck instead, his hand skimming her side and threatening to bundle her pajama and expose her flesh. A needy whimper escaped her throat. Severus rose up and stared at her intently, as if asking her permission to continue with his ministrations. It was then that the Spanish girl became aware of his lusty-shadowed eyes and the pressure of his desire on her abdomen. She had to stop this now that a part of her brain hadn't been conquered by almost animalistic emotions she had never experienced in the past.

"Severus, I want you, believe me, but I am not ready for more…" she whispered, afraid of his reaction.

She detected disillusionment and shame in his black orbs, but it soon died out. He simply nodded and kissed her forehead lovingly with so much mildness it scared him.

"Are you okay with it?" she asked anxiously.

"Maria, I have waited all my life for you… I can wait some more for _that_."

The girl sighed relieved and kissed his jaw in gratitude. The environment was somehow awkward, so she teased in an attempt to break it, "I'd still like to cuddle though, if you're willing. I mean, I know you don't like saying out loud that you enjoy my hugs but-"

She was cut short by a short peck on her lips. He chuckled, the tense atmosphere long forgotten, and turned around, spooning the witch from behind. "I'm certainly not going to complain when you offer me to hold you all night, Maria."

She giggled and finally wished him goodnight. He kissed her shoulder in return. Soon, they fell asleep thanks to the steady breathings and heartbeats from the other.

* * *

Tobias got out of bed careful not to wake his wife and departed towards the library as quietly as he could. A ring. A recipe book. What where the adolescents talking about? He turned on the light and proceeded to look for said book, in hopes of figuring out what the duo had in mind. It didn't take much for him to spot the recipe guide. Impatiently, he retrieved it from the shelf and opened it, surprised to see a ring inside the pages. The jewel appeared old, but the muggle was drawn to it, to the gold, to the black stone embedded on it. He put it on without being aware of the fatal consequences.

* * *

The sunlight pierced through blind holes and hit Severus's face. He stirred and opened his eyes. Both were still in the same position they had fallen asleep last night. The thought crinkled a wide smile on his lips. He recalled the way Maria had blurted out her feelings for him. They hadn't got further than making out afterwards, but the simple fact she had guaranteed she wanted him, made his heart flicker exultantly. Merlin, he loved the witch! She didn't know how much he desired her, how much he needed her. The grip on her tightened unconsciously and Maria stretched her body, proving she was awake as well.

"Good morning," he purred in her ear, his voice deeper than she had ever heard.

He felt the effect he had on her when his words caused shivers down her spine.

"G'morning…" she replied.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock…"

"Me too."

It made her smile and turn around to face him, although his arm was still draped over her figure. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck and sighed contently.

"Do you want to get up?"

She rolled her eyes at what to her mind sounded like a stupid and evident question and conceded, "I never want to get up, Severus. The bed is my favorite place to be. Let me enjoy a few peaceful minutes before facing the day."

He sniggered in disbelief and clasped her closer to him.

"Lazy bum," he huffed amused. Then he ribbed, "I never took you for a shirker…"

She snorted. " _¡Mira quién habla!_ You still haven't jumped out of bed either…" [ _Mira quién habla =_ Look who's talking]

He chortled again and mumbled, "Touché."

Snape kissed the top of her head and shut his eyes, savoring the almost dreamy moment. Unfortunately, the morning time serenity didn't last long. Eileen's screams and cries woke up the entire neighborhood.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

When Eileen's desperate cries echoed, Severus felt panic filling his veins. Hastily, he jumped out of bed, got a hold of his wand, and ordered his girlfriend to stay there until he came back.

"But-"

"Dammit, Maria! Obey for once in your life!" he growled, stressed out from the situation.

The girl felt a lump forming in her throat, her eyes wide due to the shock upon Snape addressing her in such a manner. It only took her a few seconds to read right through him though, he was scared. Maria imagined that whatever was happening, it probably had to do with Tobias mistreating his wife. Why else would the half-blood be so frightened? Why else would the poor woman be crying? She nodded slowly and stayed in bed, clutching her wand just in case everything went wrong and she actually needed magic to survive.

Severus left a trembling Maria behind and rushed towards the source of the cries. What he found wasn't what he had expected. He hated himself for it, but he felt the beginning of some tears peeping out his eyes, his mouth going dry, his heart skipping a beat. His wand fell on the floor, the noise mixing with Eileen's sobs.

"Mom…" he breathed out with pity.

It had been years since he had called her that. He referred to her as _mother_ since before he attended Hogwarts for the first time _,_ but the word had slipped unconsciously _._ Eileen nearly let herself fall to the floor when she heard him. Fortunately, Snape caught her clumsily with shaky arms before she could. She reposed her head on his shoulder and clinched to him vigorously, as if she was afraid he would vanish otherwise. Snape limited to hold her back and when he finally recovered his voice, he whispered, "Come on, mom… Let's get you out of here…"

"My Toby…"

"Shhh… Come on, I'll take care of everything. Just leave the room." He tried to move, but Eileen didn't reciprocate. Eventually, her tears became inaudible.

Just when Severus was about to walk his mother outside, his black eyes met the brown pools with green bits he had fallen in love with. Surprisingly, he wasn't angry at his girlfriend for coming over. More than half an hour had passed since they woke and it was only normal she got worried. He was about to tell her to leave and take Eileen before she saw the mess, but he wasn't fast enough. Ruiz had already broken the eye-contact and spotted Tobias's black arm jutting behind a furniture piece. She swallowed hard when she saw that Mr. Snape wore the ring. For once in her life, Maria wished her suppositions about the horcrux were incorrect, but they weren't. The ring was undeniably cursed and had stolen the life of Tobias Snape. Ruiz covered her mouth to restrain a gasp and stared horrified at the shattered family in front of her.

"Severus…" she murmured.

"Take my mother downstairs," he ordered coldly.

This time, neither witch demurred. Maria accompanied the broken woman to the living room and handed her a glass of water. When the woman quenched her thirst, she resumed to cry silently. Maria held her hand and whispered she was sorry, desperately trying to be strong in front of Eileen.

Severus appeared in the living room once the body was retrieved. Maria was still holding the woman who stared at the boy with pleading eyes. Snape sighed and joined them. Eileen let go of the girl and hugged her son instead.

"Shall I grant you some privacy? I'll go upstairs…" offered Maria.

Snape was unsure of what he wanted, but Eileen answered for him, "Please…"

Maria looked apologetically at the boy and got up. She kissed Eileen's forehead first, and then repeated the motion with her boyfriend. Her lips remained on his skin longer before she finally quitted. The event made their appetite lessen, and it wasn't until it was dark again that their stomachs complained. Snape made dinner and set the table.

"I don't want to eat," whined Eileen.

"I don't care. You will have something for supper," retorted her son as an ultimatum. When he noticed the hurt in his mother's eyes, he sighed and said more gently, "It's for your own good, mother. I'll look for Maria now. She must be starving too."

Mrs. Snape nodded as she watched her son leave. Severus found Maria staring out the window, her eyes empty. She looked like she had been crying all day and it made Severus feel a pang on his chest.

"Dinner's ready…" he mumbled.

It seemed that she wanted to refute and stay there, but thought better of it and simply followed him. The air was thick and somber, yet the meal finished soon enough. After the dreadful events of the day, there was nothing Severus wanted more than to go to bed already. Eileen said she'd read a little before going to sleep and assured them she would be okay. Maria didn't think twice, she climbed upstairs and got ready to go to sleep. Once she entered Severus's bedroom, she found him staring at the infinity, in a sort of a trance. She gulped and approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder so as not to startle him. He raised his arm until his fingers traced some patters against the back of her hand. Then, he led her so that she was sitting on the bed, and laid his head on her lap, his legs flexed as her hands played with his hair and drove his problems away. He sighed and shut his eyes, relishing the moment of peace that was broken by her quivering voice.

"Why haven't you kicked me out yet?"

"Why should I?" he inquired, taken aback and not really knowing where she was coming from.

A tear escaped her eye as she stuttered, "I k-killed him. I killed your fa-father."

He understood it then, she was blaming herself.

"Maria, listen to me. It wasn't your fault," he assured her, moving to a sitting position and cupping her face.

"I disagree. Had I not come back in time, the ring wouldn't have been at your house. Had I not come back in time, your father would still be alive and your mother wouldn't be a widow. Had I not-"

"Had you not come back in time," he interrupted her, "I would have joined Death Eaters, most likely never spoken to Lily again and even less become friends with Regulus, who by the way, would wear the Dark Mark on his arm and die. Had you not come back in time, I wouldn't have known what it feels like to love and be loved in return."

The fire and intensity in his black eyes overwhelmed Maria, who kept on countering him back. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I wanted to save lives, not take them away. So much for that," she finished bitterly.

"You cannot save everybody, Maria. You are giving your all for the cause, that's more than I can ask out of you."

She shook her head in denial and whispered in a partially angry tone, "Your father is dead because of that bloody ring. Why don't you hate me?"

"Because you are not to blame," he said with conviction. "My father wasn't a good man. If I lost him instead of Lily or Regulus, then it is not that bad."

"But-"

He blew up then, "Dammit, Maria! Stop this! You-know-who killed my father and I'd be darned if you weren't here with me, in 1977! I need you to be strong for me because I am tired of being my mother's rock! I hate to see her so affected because of a man that hurt her so much! I haven't got a fucking clue on how to react! I don't even care about my father! I am worried sick about my mother! I… I just… I need…" he trailed off, looking for the right word and not finding it, until he requested lowly without meeting her eyes, "I am exhausted… Hold me, maybe? While we sleep..."

The salty tears were incessantly spilling down her cheeks by then.

"You really don't hate me," she murmured more to herself than to him.

Snape limited to caress her cheek, and as if his touch was the medicine she needed, she instantly felt better. The witch smiled sadly and attempted to light up the atmosphere by exclaiming, "Of course I'll hold you! You know how much I like cuddles."

Severus chuckled then, transforming Maria's rueful grin into a bright one that reached her eyes. It was the first trace of felicity Snape had seen since he spotted his dead father, and he couldn't help but think he had never seen somebody more beautiful than her. The boy couldn't reprimand himself and kissed her passionately, bringing her close to his body, trying to take in her warmth and forget about everything but her. The Spanish girl was shocked at first, but she kissed him back with the same fervor a few moments later. She knew he needed this, and quite frankly, so did she. When the passionate interlude was over, Maria turned off the light, spooned Severus and wished him good night. Neither of them perceived Eileen eavesdropping on them.

The next morning, Severus and Maria got up and saw that Eileen had prepared breakfast. Taking into account that yesterday she had a difficult time to simply stand, one could say that she had improved quite a lot. The youngsters were taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, but commented on nothing. They simply ate in silence and helped clean the dishes. They were uncertain of how to react afterwards. For better or for worse, they didn't need to come up with something since Eileen spoke up in a weak wobbly voice, "Maria, I don't know why you think you killed Tobias, and I don't understand by all odds what you two meant about a ring, or You-know-who and going back in time. What I am sure of is that you couldn't have killed him. You are not like that. I can feel it."

The Spanish girl lost her breath and stood agape, shockwaves running through her and preventing her from replying. In contrast, Severus narrowed his eyes and clenched his fits, trying to control his rage.

"You spied on us?!" he screeched.

When Eileen cringed at the tone, the half-blood had a déjà-vu in which his mother cowered from Tobias. He suddenly felt sick for making her feel like this. Inhaling sharply, he forced himself to calm down and murmured, "I am sorry, mother. I didn't mean to snap."

Eileen nodded and excused him, "Well, you have a right to get angry, I guess. I didn't plan on eavesdropping on you. I simply went to the library to put the book back in the shelf, but I overheard you talking about your father and about your feelings… You were right. I am your mother. I must be the one to look after you, not the other way around. You don't have to be my rock."

 _So that is why she made breakfast. She was trying to act like a mother, and not like a recent widow_ , thought Severus. The young adults had no idea what to say to a comment like that but Eileen didn't grant them time to think of something either, for she told them, "I should have granted you some privacy. I am sorry. I just want you to know that I won't ask about those _odd_ things. It's the least I could do… And I want both of you to know that Tobias…" She trailed off then. Her black eyes turned even darker in sadness, if that was possible. She cleared her throat and blinked the beginning of some tears away. "Tobias was going to die anyway. He had three months left."

"What?! Why?" asked Severus with wide eyes.

"Cancer," was everything the woman provided, her voice only above a whisper.

Maria shut her eyes and gulped, having experienced the drama of this muggle disease with a friend of hers. When she fluttered them open, she instantly slipped her hand into Severus's as a comforting gesture. Severus didn't even feel her touch. His mind was busy recalling his last dinner with his father. He had noticed Tobias wasn't drinking alcohol. He had noticed that he was behaving rather nice. Both things were offbeat, but Severus hadn't enwrapped in them. He hadn't believed his father was being sincere when he apologized, yet now doubts arose.

"Since when have you known this? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he accused blatantly hurt.

"We found out in September. Tobias didn't want you to know. He said he knew he hadn't been the best father. He said he didn't want you to pity him or to make him feel better," she whispered as the tears she had desperately restrained fell down her cheeks. "He was convinced he deserved that illness."

"He did!" came the cutting answer that made the woman wince. "He made your life hell, mother! He made MY life hell! He couldn't accept us for who we are, a witch and a wizard. He was never proud of me, never cared for me, like every father should! He only barked, drank and hit you! We're better off without him!"

Severus stormed off without looking back, leaving his mother grieving alone. Maria wished she owned a time-turner so that she could be comforting her boyfriend and Eileen at the same time, but that wasn't an option. She looked contritely at the widow and hugged her briefly. She felt Eileen clinging to her for a second before she let go and murmured, "I'll talk to your son. Stay here, please."

Mrs. Snape nodded and watched her run after him. She found him rather quickly. It wasn't like the house was big to hide in, and Maria knew he had a preference for his bedroom and the library. He was sitting on the bed, staring at his hands.

"Severus?" she began softly. "May I come in, please?"

He nodded without meeting her eyes and felt her warmth as she sat next to him. It was uplifting, and he relaxed ever so slightly, yet refused to speak up.

"Severus. I won't judge. I swear, but please, talk to me."

"I don't think it would solve anything," he said a few moments later.

"I disagree," she countered back stubbornly. "Talking about your feelings is helpful in these situations."

"My parents lied to me about the cancer. How do you think I feel?" he snarled sarcastically.

"Shocked, angry and betrayed," she whispered slowly. "Utterly impotent and sad as well."

"10 points to slytherin," he scoffed bitterly.

Maria sighed and snaked her arms around his waist as she snuggled her head on his shoulder. He was somewhat tense at first, but gave in and rested his own head against hers. A reflective expression swept over her face, and the witch wondered gently, "Have you cried since you er-found your father?"

He narrowed his eyes and put some distance between them, as if he suddenly felt attacked by her innocent question.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, almost defensively.

"Because it is not healthy to conceal your emotions. It is good to let go. You don't have to do it now. You don't have to do it in front of me. Do it whenever you are ready and remember that it is okay to cry. I always feel better after crying. Perhaps it works for you too," she suggested, "It is okay not to feel okay sometimes, Severus. Life isn't always fair and we all make mistakes. The important thing is to keep going, no matter what. Crying can help you achieve it. I am willing to listen. I am willing to hold you. I won't look at you any differently."

Her caring attitude was overwhelming for Severus, who suddenly felt the need to run away from her and escape from the powerful emotions that were clouding his mind.

"Maria…"

"Shhh… It's fine, Severus. I told you that you don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with."

He glanced at her with adoration then and unconsciously mumbled, "I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"Oh, probably complain a lot and make snarky remarks about everything…" she said light-heartedly, the mood not so dark after her comment.

"I still do that," he snorted, rolling his eyes to emphasize his point.

"Yes, but now you don't mean them," and she broke into a contagious bemused grin that made his lips twitch into something similar to a crooked smile.

* * *

The funeral went smoothly. They didn't talk about Tobias anymore, although the air was still partly lugubrious. Maria did everything in her power to lighten the mood. She was aware that even though she might appear pushy or bossy, the Snape family really needed to take their minds off of Mr. Snape from time to time. Ruiz insisted in transfiguring a Christmas tree, since they lacked the money to buy one, and decorating it together. She got them out to take walks and breathe fresh air every day. She also joined the Snapes with the cooking, even though she was particularly clumsy in the kitchen. The witch taught them how to prepare a real _tortilla de patatas con cebolla,_ the typical omelet of the Spanish cuisine and the only meal she knew how to actually cook to impress. It had felt like ages since she had tasted something from her country, and her blissful face had been the most comical thing Snape had ever seen. Even Eileen had burst out laughing then.

"Oh, come on! You need to understand that tasting a real _tortilla_ after months feels like Heaven! Besides, you still haven't tried it! You can't judge me… I bet you'll love it."

Severus shook his head dubiously and finally tasted the food. He struggled not to moan at how good something as simple as that tasted and managed to keep an unimpressive expression. Ruiz saw right through him and grinned triumphantly.

"Told ya," she bragged.

Eileen behaved strongly in front of them, but at night they heard her weeping. Severus always tensed at the sound and Maria huddled closer to him in an attempt to deliver some solace. He responded by holding her tight until they drifted off to sleep. Nevertheless, one of those nights he simply cried. Ruiz was relieved he was finally liberating his feelings, but became concerned when he gave her his back and shrank at her touch. Eventually, he got up and went to the bathroom. Maria fought against her impulse to go after him and simply waited for him to come back, as she knew he needed this.

When he returned, Maria beckoned him to join her in bed. He did, and the girl kissed his cheek chastely before asking if he felt better. Severus nodded quickly, although a little embarrassed, she noticed. Maria grinned ruefully and kissed him to make him understand that there was nothing to be ashamed of. The kiss was soft, and she could taste something salty on his lips, probably the last traces of tears. She made to pull away, but Snape had other plans in mind. He deepened the kiss and Ruiz didn't have it in her to resist him, not when his fingertips rubbed her neck and he sucked her bottom lip. When the kiss concluded, Maria teased, "By the _eager_ way you've kissed me, I'd say you are _significantly_ feeling better."

Snape smiled faintly and quipped with a lifted eyebrow, "By the _eager_ way you responded, I guess you are not discontented with my performance, now, are you?"

She chuckled lowly and rested her head on his chest, knowing that the new year they were about to begin would be better.

* * *

New Year's Eve. Malfoy Manor.

Most pureblood family wizards, including the Blacks, had been invited over to the ball. Regulus hated New Year's Eve's parties. Everybody got drunk and did the stupidest things ever. It wasn't like he had a better place to go though, and the truth was that his cousin Narcissa was quite adorable when she drank way too much. Although that night, Narcissa's drunken cheerfulness wasn't what caught his attention, it was Bellatrix, who apparently sought some chit-chat with him. Frankly, his cousin was quite crazy without having any alcohol in her system, and Regulus was sure that drinking didn't help her case. Nevertheless, he simply stood, nodding at her nonsense and hoping she'd simply go away.

"I am happy today! Ask me why I am happy, Reggie!" she demanded.

Regulus knew right then the fire-whisky affected his cousin too much. Anyway, he played the game, "Er- Why are you happy?"

"I won't tell you!" she cried out proudly, taking satisfaction in knowing something the others didn't. _A very childish attitude_ , Regulus thought.

"Really? And couldn't it be that you are happy because we have just started the New Year?"

"No, smartass! It's because I've been a good girl and the Dark Lord has given me a gift! But shhhh! It's a secret!"

"A gift? What kind of gift?" he asked, intrigued.

"The Dark Lord said I couldn't tell, but he didn't mention anything about showing it," she grinned evilly. "It's at Lestrange's Manor… Perhaps I'll let you see it if you are a good boy."

"I am a good boy, Bella, you know that. Can't you at least give me a clue?" he played along, trusting his intuition.

She made as if she thought really hard, her head tilted, and finally mumbled, "It's a special object."

"Special?" he inquired, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yep…"

The witch fell asleep over him right then, snoring loudly, but Regulus didn't care about that. For once, he thanked Merlin that the alcohol acted as a veritaserum on witches and wizards.

* * *

Maria woke up and lazily rubbed her eyes only to miss the warmth of the left side of the bed she had grown accustomed to. Just then, Severus popped in the bedroom, cheeks flushed. He was holding a tray with a little piece of cheesecake.

" _Feliz cumpleaños_ _,_ " he babbled shyly. _[_ _Feliz cumpleaños_ _Happy birthday]_

Hearing the Spanish words in his baritone voice and thick British accent sent a pleasant spark of electricity down Ruiz's spine. The witch simpered and giggled in disbelief at the realization that Snape had searched for the correct words behind her back.

She took the tray, left it on one side of the bed and brusquely caught his lips with hers, slithering a hand behind his neck and clinging to him. Snape felt like he was floating yet managed to put his hands on her waist inelegantly. When the kiss was over, he teased huskily, "If I had known that speaking in Spanish would make you swoon over my charms and kiss me so fervently, I would have done so months ago."

Maria tittered and called him playfully, "You, arrogant douchebag!"

He simply chuckled lowly and Maria felt a hundred butterflies flying in her stomach.

" _Gracias_ …" she whispered wholeheartedly, her arms still draped over his shoulders. [ _gracias_ = thank you]

He suddenly blushed and confessed, "I made the cake, but I couldn't afford to buy you anything and I feel like the worst boyfriend in the world."

"Severus Snape! I am not a materialistic person! I don't need a bloody present. I have you. I don't need anything else," she retorted before snogging him again to prove her point.

The wizard sighed and relaxed into the kiss and softly pushed her until she lay on bed, his body on top of her and his hair tickling her face softly.

"I love you," he breathed out hoarsely, and Maria knew that that was the best present she could have ever asked for her eighteenth birthday.

The celebration didn't last long since both teenagers had to leave if they didn't want to miss the train to Hogwarts. Severus and Maria were notoriously concerned about Eileen. The woman guaranteed them that she'd be fine alone, but her son wasn't convinced.

"Mother, please. I… Can't you at least try to talk with Aunt Vivian? I know it's been ages since you talked to her and that your relationship wasn't the best, but perhaps she'll welcome you home… It would be just until you get a job and-"

Eileen sighed, "I'll try. I'll write to you."

Severus nodded curtly and nearly lost his balance when his mother embraced him tight.

"Thanks for coming home for Christmas," she whispered sincerely.

Her son could do nothing but hug her back and murmur, "Take care, _mom._ "

He put some distance between them so that Maria could say goodbye. Eileen hugged her just as tight to and said lowly so that her son wouldn't hear her, "Thanks for being with my son. Tobias told me he approved of you, despite being a witch. That's a lot, coming from him. Happy birthday, Maria."

Maria's eyes wetted, but she quickly dried her tears and smiled at the woman, mouthing the word thanks.

* * *

While the slytherin pair waited for the train on the 9 ¾ platform, Lucius Malfoy surprised them with his presence. He greeted them and passed a little bag to Snape, before murmuring that it contained the _ingredient_ he requested for that potion of his. When the blond left, Maria and Severus smiled, knowing that they were a step closer to the end of the chaos Voldemort wanted to reign upon.

The couple joined Regulus and Lily on the way to Hogwarts. They all wished the Spanish girl a happy birthday and talked about their holidays. Black was visibly excited and he surprised them all by telling them his suspicions.

"You said that the Hufflepuff Cup was in Gringotts, right? That a Death Eater owned it, but you had no idea of whom," he mumbled.

Maria nodded.

"And you also said that, due to temporality, horcruxes may not be in the exact place you told us."

Another slow nod.

"I know where we must hunt the next horcrux then," he revealed as a sly grin seized his face.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

It was eleven p.m. as Maria sat on her bed. An unconscious smile was written on her face as she replayed the events of the day. Severus had woken her up and congratulated her in her language, then told her he loved her and kissed her. Eileen had hugged her. Regulus had given her a bracelet with an inscription that read 'sister', while Lily had delivered her a muggle radio cassette and a Queen cassette tape. They had designed the perfect plan to hunt Hufflepuff's Cup, hid the ring with the rest horcruxes, and had time to joke around...

A knock pulled Maria back to reality. The Spanish girl looked at Lucinda Talkalot and Bryony Shafiq, but both witches shrugged, so the muggleborn opened the door.

"Severus?!" she spluttered, eyes wide.

Instantly, her mind began to theorize about everything that could have happened. Why would he be visiting so late at night?

"What's wrong?"

Severus limited to quirk an eyebrow and wonder amused, "Why do you always assume something is wrong when I pick you up for a date?"

Her cheeks flushed deeply as she recalled how she had kicked him on their first date, when he woke her up. Lucinda and Bryony sniggered from behind, which didn't make things easier. Maria turned her face and sent them a glare that silenced them in a heartbeat.

"How did you enter the girls' dorm?" was all she asked. "We created a password."

Smugly, he revealed, "Lucinda was kind enough to share it with me."

Maria arched an eyebrow and looked at the slytherin quidditch captain, who shrugged as a response.

"Maria," Severus called to gain her attention.

"Mmm?"

"It would be fabulous if we went now, you know, before the day ends…" he stressed sarcastically.

His girlfriend snorted, "You had all afternoon to take me on a date."

"I couldn't do what I had planned for you in front of Lily and Regulus," he elaborated, rolling his eyes.

Maria blushed more at the implication that the arrangement probably included something quite intimate. The adolescent girls snickered again, this time covering their mouths to dissimulate it, although not quite succeeding.

"It's past curfew! You know I don't like sneaking out!" whined Maria.

Severus smirked and teased, "Is the Spanish Princess afraid of getting caught?"

When the boy noticed she wouldn't answer that, he sighed and murmured in a gentle tone, "Please just come with me. Consider it another birthday gift."

Maria avoided his eyes, clearly torn between the school norms and her heart.

"Oh, for Salazar's sake! Maria! Spend quality time with your boyfriend! It's your birthday! Have fun!" Shafiq blew up, hovering her hands in the air.

"Bryony!" scolded Talkalot, nudging her friend in the ribs.

The girl put her hands up in self-defense and wondered innocently, "What?"

Lucinda meant to tell her to mind her own business and leave the couple alone, but changed her mind at the last second; she saw how much the guy was looking forward to taking his girlfriend with him.

"Nothing. I have just realized you are right. Maria has to go with Snape… Now."

With that said, she pushed the girl outside the dorm and into Severus. Maria nearly fell due to the powerful jostle and had to grip her boyfriend by the collar to maintain her equilibrium, resulting in their bodies being tightly pressed. They heard Lucinda shutting the door.

"You have pretty _insistent_ friends," declared Severus, who looked diverted by the situation. Maria snorted and that was when he added in teasing tone, "Not that I am complaining…"

Severus was eyeing her significantly and at the way she was still clutching his neck and shoulders. The comment earned him a playful smack on his shoulder.

Severus guided Maria to the Room of Requirement. The Spanish girl expected to find herself in a flowering field, as usual. It wasn't the case. The Room had transformed into a luxurious big salon. It reminded Maria of the castles she fantasized as a child, the castle where she'd live with her prince. During her teenage years, she had found the idea insanely ridiculous. Life wasn't like that. Nevertheless, fate wanted her to meet her prince, literally, assuming Severus's family line.

It took the muggleborn a second to note that their attire changed. Both were wearing the same robes they had during Malfoys' Halloween Feast. A sweet melody invaded the room, and Severus extended his hand in an invitation. Maria had a feeling she was about to live her childhood fantasy: dancing around in her prince's arms.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Severus finally requested.

His voice had not come as steady as he had wished; his nerves had betrayed him. In any case, his girlfriend didn't mind, for she smiled and took his hand as a response. Severus put his free hand on her waist as she settled hers on his shoulder. Together they swung to the rhythm of the music.

At first, Maria was focused on their feet, trying hard not to step on him. She caught the dynamics swiftly though, and soon enjoyed the experience at the maximum level. The girl moved her arms and circled his neck so that she could rest her head comfortably on his chest while he held her by the waist. As they shuffled, she breathed in his scent, a mix of pine and potions she had grown to love. She also listened to his heartbeat, which was as strong as ever and merged with the song's beat.

By the time it came to an end, her whole face was glowing, and the jade sprinkles in her chocolate eyes glittered graciously. As if he was charmed, Severus bent his head down and kissed her dearly, slowly cupping her face. Maria sighed into the kiss, thinking this could very well be a dream.

"How did you come up with this idea?" she wondered while toying with his hair after they parted.

Avoiding her inquiring eyes, he whispered, "I guess I wanted to make it up to you…"

Maria put her hand under his chin and forced him to look her in the eye.

"What are you talking about? Make up for what?"

Severus couldn't lie to her, so he sighed and explained, "Our first dance in Malfoy's Manor didn't go as planned, did it? I… It was my fault."

"Severus," she interrupted, clearly wishing to contradict him.

However, Severus lifted his hand, stopping her.

"I was brusque and cold with you. I wanted to make it up by granting you the dance you deserve… I want this dance to replace the one we had. We are dressed with the same garments we wore because I couldn't think of a more beautiful dress on you... Besides, you liked that Disney film a lot, Beauty and the Beast… I wanted the scenario to resemble the moment the princess and the prince danced. It is your favorite scene, I remember it, and so I thought you'd enjoy that. I took you to the Room of Requirement in hopes this would turn out right."

"It was more than right… It was perfect," murmured his girlfriend, touched by his thoughtful gesture. "I… I just…"

She couldn't convey with words what all this meant to her, so she kissed him. She kissed him with all her might, with all her gratitude. She kissed him until they both were out of breath.

"Merlin, Maria… Does that mean I made up for that horrible first dance we had at the Malfoys?"

The witch giggled at his endearing insecurity and pecked his lips before assuring, " _Sí_. You really didn't have to go to great lengths just for me. Your company is enough; it's everything I need."[Sí=yes]

"You deserve the best, not sufficiency, and since I have no money I-"

"Money isn't the best, as cliché as it sounds. Your care and devotion are," she guaranteed, squeezing his hand. "Thanks for this incredible day, Severus. You made my birthday day so special. I feel lucky to call you my boyfriend."

They entwined their fingers unwittingly and the wizard asked timidly, "Do you want to spend the night with me?"

Maria blushed and her mouth formed an 'O'. Severus instantly caught his inappropriate choice of words and quickly corrected himself, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks, "Not like that! I meant sleeping, like we were doing at Spinner's End…"

The girl chuckled at herself for thinking other things and teased, poking his chest, "You'd miss me and my never-ending cuddles too much tonight otherwise, wouldn't you?"

"You don't know how much I would."

His voice had sounded deeper than usual and his expression was sober. Maria felt a lump in her throat at the confession. The truth was that she had gotten used to waking up to his kisses, and falling asleep while he held her safely in his arms. She wanted to stay with him just as much as he did.

The room sensed her need and turned into a replica of her boyfriend's bedroom plus transfigured their classy robes into pajamas. With a sudden adrenaline, the muggleborn shoved Severus into the bed so his back lay against the mattress, and settled over him, straddling him.

"Maria!" choked Severus, cheeks bright red, "I meant it that night. I will wait. We don't have to do anything else than sleeping until you are ready and-"

Maria shut him up with a passionate kiss that was too short for Severus's liking. A naughty smile was playing on her lips as she quipped, "Oh, I know that. I wasn't aiming for such… _intimate_ activities yet, but I thought we could enjoy a snogging-session for a while before calling it a night. Why? Are you too drowsy for that?"

Severus didn't need to be told twice and resumed kissing her deeply while feeling her curves.

"So you aren't sleepy at all…" said the girl with a chortle, breaking the kiss.

"What can I say? I have a good reason not to want to go to sleep just yet…"

Maria laughed. The sound was so contagious that Severus ended up laughing too. He noticed she stopped abruptly, and that made him frown in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"We'll stay here all night…"

"Yes," he muttered flatly, arching an eyebrow as if expecting her to continue.

"Sweet Salazar! Tomorrow Bryony and Lucinda will make fun of me and think you and I have… er, you know what I mean."

Snape brought her close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her mouth and muttered, "Let them talk."

"Severus!" she blurted out, creating some space between them again. "I'm serious!"

"Me too! Do you really want to go back to your dorm to spare you a moment of embarrassment over something you haven't even done nor will do tonight? It's okay to sneak out and do this one day, but coming here every night would be dangerous and suspicious, no matter how much I'd like to be with you. From now on we will sleep separately, as we have always done. So tell me, are you going to miss this chance because of two girls' assumptions, especially when they literally pushed you into me?"

Maria's conflict dissipated with his words and she exclaimed, "Ugh! You know what? You are right. To hell with teenage rumors!"

Severus was only able to smirk triumphantly before he felt her lips on his.

* * *

Maria kept biting her bottom lip. Severus had done everything in his power to make her feel special during her birthday, and now she wanted to give him the same. She just didn't know how. It wasn't like she had many days left to plan something; Severus's birthday was the ninth of January, in six days. She spent all morning thinking about it, and it was during Potions class when an idea finally came to her.

"We'll be late for Charms," enjoined Severus when he noticed that Maria hadn't picked up her scrolls yet.

"Get going! I need to go to the loo anyway. I'll be fast! Just save me a seat, please! You know that I hate not being in the first row…"

Her flustered pose and her flushed cheeks made Severus chuckle. He kissed her forehead and then left before mouthing the words ' _hurry up'_ to her.

The classroom was free of students. Only Professor Slughorn and Maria were there.

"Miss Ruiz, you should probably go to your next class."

"I will, sir. But I wanted to ask you something first…" she said hopefully.

Horace nodded as an invitation to ask him anything, and Maria did. When he approved her request, the student couldn't reprimand a sly grin. Her plan to surprise Severus was set in motion.

* * *

Classes finished. Maria, Regulus, Lily and Severus met in front of the library, ready to research on Slytherin's Locket. Before entering though, the Head Girl stopped them and asked them to go somewhere private since she had some news to break. The teenagers came across an empty classroom and cast silencing charms. Lily was visibly nervous and she looked like she was pondering how to tell them what she wanted to say. A somewhat awkward silence swept over them. Thankfully, Regulus broke the ice by imploring, "Please tell us it isn't bad news…"

The comment made the auburn girl crack a chuckle.

"It's nothing bad. Something happened to me and I wanted to share it with you…"

"Well?" Severus urged, raising an eyebrow when the girl didn't provide more information. "What is it?"

Lily didn't think twice then, she simply acted. She unclasped a silvery chained necklace and showed them the pendant that had been hidden by her uniform, only to note that the pendant was in fact a striking ring.

Maria gasped and made to touch the jewel, but stopped before she actually did. Instead, she looked Lily in the eye and wondered, "That's an engagement ring, isn't it?"

A wide grin broke onto her face as she nodded quickly, nearly bouncing in excitement.

"Wow!" cried out Regulus, "Congratulations, Lily!"

"Thank you!"

Maria hugged her and congratulated her as well, before asking, "When are you planning on getting married? Muggle style or wizarding style?"

"I honestly have no idea. James and I haven't discussed that yet, but I'd love it to take place in summer. I simply love that season. Oh! And perhaps mixing muggle and wizarding traditions would be a great idea! I don't know! There are so many things we should talk about!"

Lily glanced at Severus, the only one who hadn't commented. He was staring at the ring with an unreadable expression. Severus thought a wedding in the midst of the war was preposterous, especially because he knew they'd have a child after it, Harry Potter, Maria had told him. What future could that baby have? He became an orphan in another life, and now they were doing everything to avoid as many deaths as possible, Lily's included. But who was to say they would succeed? Severus was frightened; he was terrified for his friend.

"Sev? What's the matter?" asked Lily, snapping him out of his daze.

For a moment, he considered shaking some sense into her gryffindor recklessness. How could she say yes to something so huge in the times they were living? Severus sighed and as calmly as he could, he inquired, "A wedding is not a game. Are you entirely certain that this is what you want?"

"I am."

Severus nodded slowly then. He didn't give her a tiny smile, nor said anything else regarding the topic.

They went on to research and when Severus and Maria were in the Slytherin Common Room after having dinner, the girl asked him, "Are you jealous?"

Severus frowned and spluttered, "What?! Why would I be jealous? Jealous of what? Of whom?"

By the way she was biting her bottom lip and staring at the floor Severus deduced that it was difficult for her to address the issue. Hoping that it would encourage her, he clasped her hand in his. It did the trick as she finally met his eyes and cleared her throat.

"Lily is getting married. Are you jealous of James? Do you wish you were the one to wed her? Is that why you didn't congratulate her?"

"Maria, how can you say that?" asked Severus, totally baffled by her behavior, offended even.

The girl gulped and kept averting his eyes.

"Look at me, please."

Reluctantly, the muggleborn did as told. Her eyes were glittering and her lips were slightly quivering, as if she was about to cry. Severus sighed.

"I remember when I found you upset in a classroom after Lily and I reconciled. You said that the Severus Snape you studied in the books had Lily's patronus, a sign of pure eternal love. Do you recall what I told you then?"

The girl nodded, and Severus arched an eyebrow, as if expecting her to recite the words, which she did.

"You told me that you and the Severus from the future were not the same person because the other Severus had never known me. You said that you had feelings for me and that the fact that you were about to make a big mistake by joining the Death Eaters just to protect me was proof."

Severus smiled tenderly at her then, one of those smiles that didn't show his teeth but that were pure and meant the world to Maria. He caressed her cheek fondly with his knuckles; something he had learnt was handy to appease her.

"My feelings for you run even deeper now than when I told you that, if that is even possible. You are the only one I trust enough to take to Spinner's End. You make me want to be the best version of myself. I love you like I have never loved _anybody_ else." He paused then and took her hand, tracing patters on her palm with his thumb to keep soothing her. It got his point across since the girl gave him a soft smile.

"Legilimens me," he blurted out all of sudden.

Maria retired her hand brusquely and furrowed her brow.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to legilimens me," he murmured, dead serious, "I want you to see that I meant every single word."

"Severus… There's no need, I believe you," she assured.

Severus palpated her sincerity in her brown orbs, but he insisted, "I know, but I need to know you will never _ever_ doubt my love for you again. I feel like we must do this, please."

"Last time I entered your mind, it didn't end particularly well," she warned, remembering the incident they had during an occlumency lesson. That was the day Maria found out about his childhood, and that had clearly miffed him.

"Maria, that was an accident. Neither one of us were prepared. We are now. I trust you."

After some vacillation, the muggleborn witch inhaled and exhaled deeply once and grasped her wand. She established eye-contact and cast the spell.

She was in his mind, wandering through many layers. No matter where she looked at, everything she saw were images and memories of her, of _them._ The witch felt everything he did during those felt his curiosity the moment they first met. His hope the moment she sat with him instead of with the marauders. His concern and guilt the moment he took her hand when she was hurt and unconscious in the Infirmary. His conflicted emotions of awkwardness and longing the first time she hugged him, and insisted she wanted to be friends. His attraction that one time when Filch nearly caught them and had to hide in a broomstick cupboard. His happiness when Severus trapped her in a tickling torture. His disbelief and excitement during their first kiss and when Maria asked Severus to be her boyfriend. His pride during their occlumency lessons and his nerves throughout their dates. His battle of emotions in their make-out session in Malfoys' Manor. His relief during their reconciliation after Sirius' incident. His delight the first time she told him she was proud of him and loved him. His gratitude upon her support on Christmas break and finally, his wish to make her feel special during their dance on her birthday. All these emotions merged and turned into a powerful and heterogenic feeling. Maria felt enveloped by it, overwhelmed, and it took her two seconds to realize it was love, _his_ love for her. She drowned in its intensity for a moment before she withdrew with a gasp.

Maria was moved. She still had the feeling that his love was surrounding her. Her heart was beating so strongly she feared it would fall from her chest. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes were teary. A lump in her throat impeded her from speaking.

Luckily for her, Snape didn't expect her to talk. He simply took her hands and murmured seriously, "I didn't congratulate Lily verbally because she is my friend, and I am not sure it is safe for her to marry Potter. We all know that children come after the wedding. I remember his name, Harry Potter. How will Lily cope if something happened to her husband, to her son? I was worried about her. Still am. The fact that I didn't show enthusiasm at the news has nothing to do with jealousy…" He squeezed her hands gently then, and added, "The thought that I would feel something for Lily is ridiculous, and I would rather be a muggle than feel jealous of stupid Potter. I hope you know this."

Still unable to articulate a word, she lifted his hand and kissed its back. Then, without letting go of him and careful that nobody saw them, she guided him towards the entrance of the girls' dorms. Severus raised an eyebrow in wonder and Maria finally found her voice to answer him, although it came slightly high-pitched.

"We still have half an hour before Bryony and Lucinda come back from Quidditch practice. I am planning on taking advantage of the situation now that we have the room to ourselves. I will cuddle and snuggle you. I will convince you that you are beautiful in every way. I will peck your cheeks, forehead and nose. I will snog you earnestly until you know just how much I love you, Severus, because I cannot find a way to express what I am currently feeling with words. And God, you deserve to know it. You deserve to know that I cherish you and that you are the most precious thing in my life. You deserve to know that, although I come from 2016, I don't even want to think about what my life would be like without you."

She was about to whisper the password, but the hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around, afraid that he would refuse her suggestion. Instead, he susurrated with a thick voice, "Maria, you are the most precious thing in my life too."

The candid words reached her soul, and Maria felt a few tears she had been holding back falling down her cheeks.

"Dammit, Severus! I thought you weren't one to express emotions! If we don't stop talking about feelings right now, we are going to go to my room, only not to snog but to comfort me while I cry! I am not even kidding! Tears won't stop coming and that will ruin the mood and-"

Severus muttered the password, barely moving his lips, and silenced her with a short but promising kiss that elicited a moan out of her.

"If that's the case, I'll stop talking now… I'd hate to miss the chance chatting when we could do far more _stimulating_ things…"

Maria dried her tears and chuckled, before Severus practically dragged her to her bed and kissed her.

* * *

"Good morning, Mr. Trelawney," greeted Dumbledore, showing Mr. Trelawney a kind smile and beckoning him to sit. "Do you want a lemon drop?"

Mr. Trelawney had dark green eyes and brown hair, just like his daughter Sybill. He was very thin and had an eccentric air about him, something he also shared with the fifth year girl. He was slightly sweating whilst tapping the floor, something which told Dumbledore he was nervous.

"Good morning," Mr. Trelawney finally replied, when he sat down, "And no, thank you."

"In the letter you wrote you wished to speak to me about something important regarding Miss Trelawney. Tell me, what is it?" Albus asked, his voice calm.

"I know that what I am going to say will sound nuts, but you have to believe me…" mumbled the wizard, pathetically, "I think my daughter is a seer."

"What makes you say so?" inquired the headmaster, keeping his face straight.

Mr. Trelawney hesitated before continuing, "My daughter was at home with my wife and me. We had just woken up to celebrate Christmas Day. Everything was fine, nothing out of the ordinary, but before Sybill could take a seat and have breakfast, she entered in a trance. She recited something, something creepy about He-who-must-not-be-named, and she was left exhausted. She dozed off, saying she didn't remember a word she said… I know better. Cassandra Trelawney was my great-grandmother. Nobody had inherited the Second Sight in the past generations, nobody except my daughter."

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, thinking about the implications of this and if it could be true or not that Sybill Trelawney, the Ravenclaw student that excelled in Divination, was in fact a seer like her great-great-grandmother.

"Do you remember the words she recited, Mr. Trelawney?"

He gave a nervous nod and shut his eyes, as if it helped him remember them. His slightly trembling voice echoed across the headmaster's office.

" _The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach... One who ignites fear in the Dark Lord… One born in a time that will never come to light again… One who followed the Dark Lord once… and the latter will never see the daylight after the burning day, the beginning of the end… and the Chosen Ones have power the Dark Lord knows not… The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach..."_

Dumbledore listened closely, memorizing every single word. This was far more serious than Mr. Trelawney could ever intuit. Those sentences were a prophecy.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Severus had just gone into the Common Room when a pair of small but strong arms crushed him from behind, so brutally he nearly lost his balance. He only needed to feel the touch to know it was his girlfriend.

" _Feliz cumpleaños_ , Severus," she congratulated softly. [ _Feliz cumpleaños_ = happy birthday]

He never liked to celebrate his birthday, but for some reason, that didn't stop a broad grin to break onto his face. Maria took his hand and led him out of the Slytherin Common Room.

"The Great Hall is left, not right…" Severus mumbled confused.

"I know," was all Maria revealed as her mouth creased into an enigmatic smile, although Severus caught the meaning instantly.

"Hell no! Maria, I loathe surprises!" he complained, folding his arms across his chest indignantly.

"Then I shall advise you to be prepared for today's events," countered back his girlfriend, imitating his gesture, "As far as I know, friends and family surprise and give gifts to people on their birthday. Surely, this isn't something which is only done in Spain, now, is it?"

She glimpsed sideways at a classroom while she pronounced the sassy comeback. Nobody would have perceived the minimal action, but Severus did, so he followed her glance and realized that whatever she had planned was going to occur in that room.

"I'm not going in there, Maria!"

"Oh, I think I will convince you."

"I'd like to see you try," he dared.

"Challenge accepted," she whispered with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Maria didn't leave him time to react. She grabbed him violently by his green and silver tie and brought his head down to kiss him passionately. Severus tried to resist at first, but the way her tongue was teasing him and the way her fingers were curling in his hair made him forget about everything but her. It was easy for the girl to push him into the classroom and mutter a non-verbal spell to shut the door. She stopped the snogging session at its peak, something which made the boy groan in frustration.

"I won," she ribbed, slightly out of breath.

He didn't have time to call her a manipulative slytherin for Regulus and Lily had already screamed happy birthday to him. Severus blushed like mad when he realized his friends had seen him snogging Maria like that. Regulus looked like he was about to comment on it, but Lily stopped the boy by giving Severus a present from both herself and Regulus; a set of rare potion ingredients. That simple fact put Severus in a very good mood.

He actually had a good time chatting and joking with them and that was when he considered that maybe, with Maria and his friends, his birthday wouldn't be so bad, not even with surprises included.

When it was time to go to class, Regulus whispered, looking meaningfully at the couple of slytherins, "By the way, you two made an _explosive_ entrance to say the least."

Severus blushed profoundly and glanced at Maria, who looked slightly flustered too. When she met his glittering black eyes, she let out an embarrassed yet contagious giggle that invited Severus to let go and laugh with her. He did just that.

Classes passed sluggishly, and Severus noticed Maria was constantly biting her bottom lip when she thought he wasn't looking. It was something he found both endearing and sexy at the same time. However, he was aware that gesture equaled she was insanely nervous. That only fed his own nerves as it meant that another surprise was reserved for him, a surprise his girlfriend desperately hoped he would like.

Only five minutes after finishing all classes, a first year ravenclaw student gave Severus a note from the Potions Master.

"Professor Slughorn wants to see me in his office…" he whispered, confused, after scanning the content.

Maria limited to shrug and say, "Well, then go before he deducts house points… I'll be studying Alchemy in the library!"

She pecked his cheek and disappeared along the Hogwarts corridors. Severus sighed and headed to Professor Slughorn's office, as the note requested. He knocked and Horace let him in immediately.

"Take a seat, boy."

Severus sat and waited awkwardly for Horace to speak. When he noticed his Professor wasn't going to open his mouth just yet, the boy asked, "What did you want to tell me, sir?"

"Why, Severus. I am glad you asked." The student suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his teacher's theatrics. "It looks like you don't need Felix Felicis to be lucky in life…"

"What do you mean, sir?"

Slughorn smirked and revealed, "I mean that you will be able to sit Saint Mungo's exams to work there after finishing the NEWTs."

Severus felt his mouth going dry. He was actually considering whether his hearing had betrayed him in that exact moment. The possibility that his Professor had drunk something before meeting him was plausible as well.

"Pardon me?"

Excitedly, the fat man explained, "Young Miss Ruiz reported to me your high interest in brewing potions for Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. You will be able to sit the admission exam in summer, and I have no qualms you will pass it with an outstanding mark."

So Maria was involved in this… He remembered he had told her about his aspirations months ago. Still, he couldn't really understand what his Head of the House was implying. It simply didn't make sense, and he didn't vacillate to transmit his doubts.

"But sir, one needs to become a Potions Master to be able to sit for those exams in the first place. Those are the rules. I've researched it. I still have three more years to study and then I shall present my application letter. In case the Hospital showed interest and accepted my solicitude, the potion-making skills would be tested in that admission exam. Saint Mungo's only takes in the best aspirants, Professor."

Horace smirked.

"I see you are not misinformed. However, I pulled some strings and they will let you take the admission exam after Hogwarts. You don't need to become a Potions Master first or study more years to pass it. Your brewing skills are the best I've seen in years. Not once have you given me a potion that was less than outstanding."

"But brewing potions at school isn't the same, Professor. That examination also tests whether the applicant is capable of-"

"Of experimenting with potions and improving them," he finished for Severus. "I am aware of it. I still don't see why you should be afraid of that. I've seen you working for years, boy. You seldom follow the instructions of the book, yet manage to brew the finest solutions. You will work in that Hospital. Trust me."

Severus felt a nervous feeling twisting in his stomach. He still hadn't come to terms with the implications of the Potions Master's words.

"A long time ago, I had a student who was as incredible, smart and inventive like you in regards to this subject. I convinced the Head of the Hospital to let her take the exam after Hogwarts. That girl, now a woman, is currently the Head of the research department of Saint Mungo's. She will let you in. I talked to her and you are already inscribed to sit the exam. Miss Ruiz looked quite confident and guaranteed me that you wanted to work in that hospital… We can always erase your name from the list if you changed your mind. Is that what you wish?"

"No, sir," babbled Severus, struggling to keep a straight face.

He just couldn't believe this was real. He hadn't even wondered much about his future. Sure, he had always wanted to brew potions for Saint Mungo's, even research on curative potions; but it had always looked like something far away from his reach. The war would never let him work on his dreams safely. But then again, he had never thought he would meet a girl from the future who held the key to vanquish Lord Voldemort. Perhaps, life wasn't as cruel as he had originally thought.

"So you want to sit those exams after you take your NEWTs?" his Professor's voice brought him back to reality.

"Yes, sir," he affirmed, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Perfect. If you have any doubt, contact me, Mr. Snape."

"Thank you."

"Oh, no! You owe Miss Ruiz a big thank you, not me."

"I owe her more than that," he whispered, allowing a tiny smile to conquer his thin lips at last.

Slughorn grinned knowingly and dismissed him. Severus felt his knees trembling and his heart pumping wildly. The moment he stepped out of the office, a familiar smoky voice with an accent teased, "So? Do you approve of my birthday present for you?" Maria's cheeky posture changed then, and she muttered suddenly shy, "I mean, I have no money either and I cannot buy you anything, so I gathered th-"

The black-haired slytherin cut her off by taking her by the armpits and lifting her in the air to spin her around. Maria let out a surprised squeal that soon transformed into loud laughter as she gripped his shoulders so as not to fall. Severus was smiling like he had seldom done, and even a rumbling chortle escaped his throat. At last, he lowered her body until her feet touched the floor again. Internally, he thanked the cold of the dungeons for preventing most students from wandering along that area as he wished for nobody else to see them so affectionate. He had had enough with the show they had pulled in front of his friends that very same morning, thank you very much.

Severus began to kiss her forehead, then her cheeks and her nose, whispering a little _thank you_ between each peck. The latter peck made her giggle, and Severus felt like he was floating. He just couldn't help himself. He ducked his head and finally reached for her mouth. Their lips moved in synchrony, and on impulse, Severus crushed her back against the nearest wall. His hands travelled from her cheeks to her neck and descended to her arms. When he reached her wrists, he grabbed them forcefully and pinned them up. Maria gasped in surprise, and Severus had the perfect excuse to poke his tongue into her mouth.

Their bodies were pressed hard. He could feel her breasts touching him, her hips wiggling against him instinctively. He heard an uncharacteristic sound, a groan, and it took him a moment to realize that it had come from his throat. His lips abandoned her mouth only to focus on her neck, nuzzling it with delicate kisses. Her soft sighs encouraged him, and he nibbled her tender skin, just where her jaw ended and her neck began below her ear. Maria shut her eyes and arched her back as a small whimper escaped her mouth. The sound and the compression against his chest made Severus's feel something inside him, a singular warmth he had also felt on their first night together back at Spinner's End. He knew he needed to stop this before it went too far and he couldn't control his corporal reactions.

Fighting against his most intrinsic wishes, he let her arms fall on the back of his shoulders and put some distance between, just enough to see her face. Her freckles stood out against the flush of her nose and cheeks. Her lips were swollen and redder than usual. He bet his own resembled hers, for they still tingled from the kisses. Their shallowed respiration mingled. Their eyes locked, and with one look Severus knew that she was thinking the same, that they had to stop before their brains turned numb.

Suddenly, Maria grinned shrewdly and joshed, still breathing hard, "I guess you don't dislike surprises anymore…"

Severus smirked then, and though his tone was teasing, his eyes were flickering with affection, "I still _loathe_ all surprises bar yours."

Maria smiled then as she knew that was his way of showing gratitude and love towards her.

"Grumpy pants," she muttered under her breath, playfully.

"I never denied that. You'll have to look for more consistent insults."

Maria's laughter resonated across the empty dungeons.

During dinner time, Severus received a letter from his mother in which she congratulated him for his birthday and informed him aunt Vivian had taken her in temporally. She also added she was feeling better, and had started to look for a job as a Potions assistant. The news awoke an optimistic feeling in his chest.

That night, Severus slept well. He felt hopeful, he truly did. Since he met Maria, they had been fighting for their future and now, it looked brighter than ever.

* * *

It was the third of March, the Lestranges' fifth year wedding anniversary. The Lestranges had invited their family and friends; so of course, Regulus was invited, as were Lucius and Narcissa. The plan was to impersonate the engaged pureblood couple and look for the horcrux. The one who stayed at Hogwarts in case something went wrong, and the rest didn't come back to alert Dumbledore, was Maria. She couldn't get rid of her accent, so she couldn't drink the polyjuice potion and turn into Narcissa. They would get caught. Instead, Lily would take her place while Severus acted as Lucius.

Lily and Severus were hiding under the invisibility cloak, that the witch had borrowed from her boyfriend, outside Lestranges' Manor after sneaking out of the castle. Regulus took Lucius and Narcissa outside the house with the excuse he wanted to tell them something important and required some privacy. He approached the spot he knew Severus and Lily were and spoke to them until Lucius fell down, asleep.

"Lucius!" screamed Narcissa, but before she could kneel and see what was wrong with her fiancé, she fell asleep as well.

It had been Severus, who had cast the bewitched sleep incantation nonverbally.

"Wicked," cried out Regulus.

Severus and Lily took a hair from each pureblood and tossed it in in their polyjuice potion, which Severus had previously prepared. Lily transfigured their robes to resemble the ones Narcissa and Lucius were wearing. Soon, they looked exactly as the fallen couple, who were already covered under the invisibility cloak.

"I feel so weird," confessed Lily, looking at her hands and hair, now Narcissa's, "I don't know if I'll rise to the occasion. Maria is a far better actress than I, and she knows how to lie, unlike me… She hides her blood status, her time-travel thing, and the incident with Mulciber, and the only people who _know_ about that are the ones she _chose_ to tell. I can't even lie about whether I like a dress or not…" she whispered remorseful. "I should have stayed at Hogwarts, like that other time when you went to the Malfoys' Feast."

"Don't be stupid, Lily! If Maria had come, we would have no chance and get caught in an instant. She may be a great actress and liar, but she can't get rid of her Spanish accent…" Severus argued. "Just try to think like Narcissa would and you'll be fine. Besides, last time you whined like a child because you stayed at Hogwarts. What's changed now?"

Lily realized he was right, so she limited to pout, "I didn't whine like a child."

She was complaining like one at the moment, and it made Severus chuckle and mutter under his breath, "Whatever."

It was the moment of the truth. They entered the living room. Bellatrix saw them and came over, "Hey! Sis, we haven't talked much today!" The witch noticed Regulus and Lucius then and asked, "May I steal your fiancé for a second? I want to talk to my sister…"

Lily thought quickly and lied, hoping she wouldn't see right through her, "I'm sorry, Bella." Lily had used the nickname intentionally since Regulus had told her that was the way Narcissa addressed her sister. "I am very tired and I'd rather go to sleep already. Why don't you send me an owl later?"

Bellatrix stared straight at her, nearly analyzing her. Lily was beginning to get nervous as she was aware that lying wasn't a big talent of hers. Suddenly, Bellatrix burst into laughter.

"Cissy! You are an excellent liar, just not to me. I never needed to use legilimancy on you to know you were not being completely honest with me. Come on, what's the real reason?"

Lily opened her mouth, but found that words didn't come to her. Sensing her panic, Severus spoke up, "I must admit it is my fault, Bellatrix. I want to leave early. I have a backlog of work due tomorrow, and I am afraid I won't be able to finish it if we don't leave now."

"Right," the witch snorted and sipped her glass of wine. Then she glimpsed her cousin, "Are you leaving too? I know you have school tomorrow."

"I'm staying for a while longer."

"Good."

Lily and Severus left the crowded salon and went into the empty rooms of the Manor, searching for the horcrux while Regulus watched that nobody ran into them.

"That was a close call," muttered Lily, referring to nearly getting caught lying.

"You should ask Maria to teach you how to lie if it bothers you so much," he said light-heartedly, downplaying the situation.

"That would be useful, considering that James keeps questioning me about what I do with you, Maria and Regulus in our free time… I mean, I don't want to lie to him, but I get tired of his interrogation… Perhaps telling a white lie would do me good, but I don't even know how to deliver those."

"He bothers you? What do you tell him?" he instantly asked.

"I tell him he should trust me. He always agrees, but I can see that he isn't convinced, and so he asks me again a few days later. He has this map and can tell where we are. He is getting suspicious… He thinks we were planning something bad…"

"Because I am in the picture," he finished bitterly.

"Severus, come on. You must understand. James never liked you and probably never will, just like you will never like him either. He doesn't trust you because of..." she hesitated then, but ended up saying, "because of your past. He thinks you are like Rosier, Mulciber and Avery."

"I am not," he quickly claimed, staring straight at her.

"I know. I told him that. I told him he was right about us planning something, but that it's something good, not bad. I don't know if he believes me."

"And he still asked you to wed him, despite his doubts?" Severus wondered incredulously.

"He loves me," murmured Lily, as if it was enough reason to marry someone, "I love him too. Someday he will understand that we are fighting for a good cause and that I kept it from him because I made a promise, not because I didn't want him to know."

They fell silent and looked for the Hufflepuf item for a few minutes, until Lily wondered, "Sev?"

"Mmm?"

"Does it bother you that I am marrying your enemy?"

Severus left the drawers and devoted his attention to his friend, his expression sober.

"You don't need either my blessing or permission to get married."

"I don't, but I still want to listen to your opinion."

He sighed in defeat then and provided, "You said it before, Lily. I will probably dislike Potter for the rest of my life. I don't like that you're engaged to him, but I must admit that this year he hasn't harassed me… Perhaps he is maturing. Perhaps I am maturing too. I respect your decision, Lily. I just wish you are as happy with him as I am with Maria. If the answer is yes, I guess I have nothing against your engagement."

Lily smiled fondly then and sighed, "The answer is yes… By the way, when are you going to propose to Maria?"

Severus made a choking sound. His usually pale cheeks heated up in a second and his eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, Sev! You heard me! She makes you happy! You love each other! What are you waiting for?"

"We haven't even been together for a year…" he mumbled, his voice weak, as if he wasn't convinced of what he was saying.

"That's a pathetic excuse! Everybody can see that what you two have is special."

"Lily… Has she… Er, has she told you she would like to marry me?" he asked, feeling his cheeks turn cherry pink.

"We haven't talked about that… Why? Do you wish she had?"

Her tone was friendly, teasing, yet serious.

Severus kept quiet and stared at the floor with a sudden interest. In that moment he hated Lucius for pulling his hair in a low ponytail. If he had been in his body, he would have hidden behind his black locks.

"Sev, there's a war coming…" whispered his friend softly, "What if you never get the chance to call her your wife?"

Severus lost his breath for a second. He would be lying if he said that he had never fantasized about marrying her, taking her to wherever she wished for their honeymoon and even having kids someday… He hoped Maria dreamed about that too, but had been too afraid to confront her about it. Besides, there was always the variable of the war. He knew that his illusions could be manipulated by that.

"Is that why you said yes to Potter, because you are afraid of the war?" he asked in the gentlest tone he could pull.

He needed to know. He wanted to see if he was the only one with that dilemma. He wanted to see if the war, the reason he hadn't been fond of Lily's engagement, was exactly the motive why she had decided to take that step.

The question took Lily aback, and she actually needed some time to consider her answer. When she spoke up though, her voice radiated with a pure sincerity.

"Partly… Maybe I would have waited some more if there was no war, but I know that I would have married James anyway in the end. I guess war puts things into perspective. It helps us see what is really important in life."

"It does…" mumbled Severus, a reflective expression plastered on his face.

When his friend pronounced the last sentence, the image in Severus's mind was Maria. Lily smiled, as if she knew of what, or rather, of whom he was thinking.

Both teenagers continued with the search, the reason they had drank the polyjuice potion and were in the Lestranges' Manor in the first place. They spent half an hour looking for the horcrux. The Manor was as big as the Malfoys', and there were many rooms that could serve as the perfect hideaway. They patrolled the corridors until Lily heard some snores. Instead of avoiding the room, she opened the door, startling Severus.

"Don't," he hissed lowly, internally cursing her for being so reckless.

He didn't want to face the upcoming scenario. He just wished that whoever was inside wasn't intelligent enough to uncover them.

"There is no one here, Sev. Let's look," she suggested lowly.

Severus sighed in relief. This could have turned out pretty ugly.

It was a study room. The curtains were slytherin green, with some silver accessories. An old wooden desk and a suiting chair were situated in the center of the room. Next to a painting of a sleeping Druella Black, the one accountable for the snores, there were some shelves with few books and vases.

Both teenagers proceeded to search in silence. Lily looked inside the drawers of the desk while Severus inspected the shelves. It was then that he had a hunch. He retrieved the portrait, careful not to wake up the witch, and uncovered a little hole in the wall which contained the Hufflepuff Cup. The half-blood smirked and gave it to Lily while beckoning her to keep quiet, knowing she was about to squeal and jump in excitement. He put the painting back and with one final look at the snoring figure, they stepped out of the room and went downstairs.

Bellatrix kept her back on them, still talking to Regulus, who caught a glimpse of his friends. He excused himself and left.

"You have it?" he asked.

Lily showed it to him and the young boy smirked.

"Brilliant!"

Severus took the invisibility cloak and broke the spell Lucius and Narcissa were in. He and Lily hid under the cloak.

"Reg? What's happening? I remember Lucius blacked out and-"

Narcissa didn't get to finish the sentence for her cousin obliviated her and her fiancé.

"Why are we here?" wondered Lucius.

"Really? I think you all drank way too much! You were leaving already!" cried out Regulus, "And so was I. I have Divination first thing in the morning."

Despite looking slightly disconcerted, they accepted his explanation and apparated away.

Regulus joined Severus and Lily and appeared near Hogwarts' school grounds, the closest they could apparate to the castle. His friends looked like themselves again, no trace of Narcissa or Lucius on their faces. They were already in their uniforms too.

"Does Bellatrix suspect anything?" asked Severus urgently.

"No. She didn't see you going out."

Severus smirked and whispered, "Then we just need to hide this in the Room of Hidden Things."

While they were walking back to Hogwarts, Regulus asked, "So how did you find it?"

"Sev did, actually," provided Lily with a proud smile.

"We both did. I wouldn't have spotted it if you hadn't entered that bloody studio. What were you thinking, anyway? We heard snores. Somebody could have seen us."

"Merlin! You went into a room you could hear snores coming from?!" Regulus asked, eyes wide in shock.

"She did! I had no other option!" Severus replied in self-defense.

"Gryffindors," snorted Regulus.

"Hey!" Lily whined.

The boy raised his hands and blurted out, "Only kidding!"

"Anyway, the snores came from Druella Black's portrait. It is only logical to think that your cousin wanted to keep the Cup hidden, and nobody would ever dare to look behind Druella's painting. Even if they did, Druella would have told on the thief. It was the perfect hideaway. The only flaw Bellatrix's scheme presented was precisely that she hadn't counted on Druella's profound sleep."

The three friends kept chatting all the way to Hogwarts. They hid under the invisibility cloak to avoid getting caught and proceeded to hide the horcrux in the Room of Hidden Things. Then, they returned to their respective dorms and called it a night, although the adrenaline they felt upon finding another horcrux kept them awake for a long time.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Professor McGonagall had just told the class to conjure an animal out of thin air, anything but birds and snakes, the only easy exceptions. Conjuration was one of the most advanced branches of Transfiguration and Minerva was ready to see most students, if not all, fail on their first try. After all, she remembered how she had conjured a rabbit with no teeth and three ears in her earliest attempt. True, she had caught the dynamics pretty quickly and in only ten minutes her younger self had been able to amend her mistakes. Yet, she was aware that during the first sessions of conjuring spells, things were bound to get chaotic. The students tended to be successful after three weeks of intense practice, and even then, some still presented difficulties. Therefore, her surprise was paramount when she spotted a slytherin girl from the first row correctly conjuring a ginger kitten. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed Miss Ruiz excelled at her subject, but what she had just done proved she had a natural gift for it. Her surprise was even greater when she saw her assisting Severus, Bryony and Lucinda.

"Lucinda! What did I just say?" asked Maria, knowing full well that the Slytherin Quidditch Captain had been daydreaming.

Lucinda blushed and stammered. She wasn't capable of articulating a full, coherent sentence.

"You were staring at Sirius," quipped Byrony, not helping the situation at all.

"I was not!"

"Of course you were! I'm sure you have a crush on him! You always thought he was handsome."

Lucinda was left speechless for once in her life, Bryony flashed the cockiest grin ever, and Severus grimaced. Maria quickly asked them all to focus and explained to them the basics of the animal conjuration.

The time to go finally came, and all the students trooped out the classroom. Maria was going to leave too, but Minerva requested she stay. Upon hearing this, her boyfriend nodded at her and strode towards the Charms classroom with Lily.

"Did I do something wrong, Professor?"

"Not that I am aware of, Miss Ruiz," the witch conceded in her thick Scottish accent, "I merely wanted to ask what career path you are interested in."

"I don't know yet."

Minerva raised an eyebrow and inquired, almost incredulously, "You are a seventh year slytherin girl, and you don't know what you want to do with your life?"

Maria shrugged, "I want to do something that makes me feel good with myself. I still don't know the most suitable job to accomplish that. I am keeping my options open."

"Keeping your options open sounds far more ravenclaw than slytherin."

"Not all of us fit strictly one Hogwarts House, Professor. I suppose I have some ravenclaw traits."

McGonagall smiled knowingly then for she was a lioness with eagle's traits herself. It took the Sorting Hat five long minutes before announcing Gryffindor.

"You are right, Miss Ruiz. May I know what the career paths you have considered are?"

Maria pressed her lips together and tilted her head, pondering the question thoroughly before providing her an answer, "Well, for starters, I love Ancient Runes and Transfiguration; so any job related to them would be great. However, there is something in me that tells me I want more than that… I _need_ more. I want to make a change."

"Your slytherin colors resurface again…" replied the animagus, referring to the determination and ambition those lines hid behind their superficial meaning.

Those words brought a pompous smile to Maria's face.

"Have you thought about becoming a teacher?"

Maria's mind seemed to go out of the room for a few seconds, plainly remembering something. A while later, the girl cleared her throat and kept fleeting eye contact as she spoke, "Severus once told me I should consider becoming a Hogwarts Professor…"

"Well, tell Mr. Snape I agree with him. Perhaps not a _Hogwarts_ teacher. I rather like my position here, thank you very much."

Maria's chuckle resonated across the classroom, giving the impression there were many people laughing in the room, despite being occupied only by a pair.

"It is something I never considered before he mentioned it, but it has grown on me… Anyway, I highly doubt I would steal your position, Professor."

McGonagall nodded thoughtfully and wondered, "So you really want to become a teacher?"

"I'm not sure. Experimenting is something I absolutely love. Perhaps I should be a researcher…"

"I've been observing you and I know you have a talent for my subject. If you choose a career path related to education or Transfiguration, please contact me. I will gladly be of your assistance."

Maria could only beam at her in gratitude.

* * *

James Potter had been thinking about Lily and her relationship with three particular slytherins for quite some time. He had tried to be patient, he really had. Regardless, his fiancée didn't collaborate when he asked her what was going on. She didn't lie to him, yet she cut the truth to her benefit, selecting the pieces of information she wanted. He didn't know the entire story, and the pieces he possessed were too vague, too confusing. The puzzle remained unsolved. James grew more worried every day, until he couldn't take it anymore. The wisest solution he came up with was to tell Dumbledore he suspected Regulus, Maria and Severus were scheming something that could drag Lily down the wrong path. This is how he found himself knocking on the headmaster's office door.

* * *

Regulus, Severus, Lily and Maria were in the library, scanning every book they deemed could be useful for their research when a hufflepuff first year boy gave a message from Dumbledore to the gryffindor witch. She inspected it and frowned.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to meet me. He doesn't say why," Lily whispered, concerned.

"It probably has to do with something related to your role as head girl," said Regulus, trying to calm her down.

Lily shook her head. "This isn't a regular meeting. Something wrong must have happened. I can feel it."

"Lily, just go. It is useless to worry and speculate," appeased Severus.

"He's right," agreed Maria, trying to encourage her.

Little did they know that Lily's bad presentiment wasn't mistaken at all.

Lily entered the office and sat in front of Dumbledor's desk. She tried to keep her cool, but something about the way Albus was eyeing her made her feel uneasy.

"It has come to my attention that you have been spending time with Severus Snape. I take it that you are friends again."

"Yes, sir."

"And you have befriended Maria Ruiz and Regulus Black, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't see why this is something important."

The man kept a stoic face and asked her, "Why do the four of you go so frequently to the Come and Go Room?"

Her face grew pale at the question. She tapped her foot unconsciously as her hands became clammy. Albus kept looking straight at her, as if her face was a book he could read, and she suddenly found herself thinking about the times they had looked for the Diadem or hid the Cup. The head girl knew she couldn't lie for her life, and even less to the headmaster. Thus, she swallowed hard and confessed, "We just need privacy sometimes, Professor."

For some reason, she knew that the man knew the whole truth. His expression remained calm, but his voice was grave when he asked James to tell Regulus, Maria and Severus to come to the office. Lily tilted her head and furrowed her brow. They were supposed to be alone. Still, James uncovered his figure from the invisibility cloak. Lily gasped. She understood everything now. James had come to Dumbledore for help out of concern for her. She wasn't angry at him. She knew he cared for her. Still, she felt slightly disappointed in herself for not convincing him that everything was fine. Now they were in a right mess. The boy gave his fiancée an apologetic look and retired.

It wasn't long before her three slytherin friends crept into the office.

"You should leave for this, James," advised Albus, although his tone left no room for opposition.

The head boy gulped and sent Lily another remorseful look, but she wasn't even looking at him. She was too concerned. Maria sensed the tense air and she couldn't help but think that whatever was about to happen was going to be uncomfortable for them. The group of friends knew there was only one reason why someone like Albus would call upon them all, and neither of them was fond of that option.

"You must be wondering why you are here. The answer is not simple. I shall start from the beginning. I have always known you that you lied, Maria, since the very beginning, although I did not understand the reason. Nevertheless, I saw that your relationship with Severus was beneficial for all of us, so I let it go." Severus snorted at that. He knew that meant that Dumbledore had always suspected he would join the Death Eaters and was relieved when they asked for help thanks to Maria's encouragement and stubbornness. "Then, Lily and Severus reconciled, and I suspect you had something to do with it. Regulus seemed to be attached to you too, and that attachment saved him from a dark fate…" he said, staring at the Maria, who was feeling more anxious as the discourse continued. She decided to put her occlumency walls up, just in case. She certainly didn't trust Albus, not when he had threatened her in the past about using _methods_ to find out the truth. "Somehow, you knew about horcruxes and have been hunting them ever since. It was either that, or you found out together. How did you know about their existence, Maria?"

Regulus rubbed his neck uncomfortably while Lily played absentmindedly with her engagement ring. Maria bit her bottom lip and Severus put a shielding arm in front of her.

"She doesn't have to tell you anything," he menaced, his voice low.

"Severus," started Maria, lowering his arm. "He caught us. Perhaps he can help us. He helped you and Regulus when you most needed it, remember?"

"I don't care! We still can do this on our own!"

Albus sighed and warned in a tired voice, "You cannot win without me."

"You are only trying to manipulate us! Don't listen to him, Maria. We have done just fine without him. We can finish this without _his_ _help_ ," he spat the last words as if they were poison.

Severus knew he would have probably become a Death Eater without his aid, but that didn't mean he had changed his view about him. He got the feeling Dumbledore would play with them as if they were pieces of chess.

Maria looked at him worriedly. She wasn't sure what the wisest thing to do was. She looked at Regulus and Lily for assurance, but they looked just as lost as her, if not more.

"Let's go…" requested Severus, grabbing her wrist.

Before the slytherin witch could reply, Albus's voice filled the room. The words sounded almost melodic, as if he was reciting a poem.

" _The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach... One who ignites fear in the Dark Lord… One born in a time that will never come to light again… One who followed the Dark Lord once… and the latter will never see the daylight after the burning day, the beginning of the end… and the Chosen Ones have power the Dark Lord knows not… The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach..."_

"What is that?" asked Lily.

"A prophecy," Regulus deduced.

Albus reaffirmed it and conceded, "The prophecy record is labelled in the Hall of Prophecy as referring to Voldemort, Maria and me. The other is unknown. There is only a question mark, which means that there is more than one candidate. We need to work together to win, Severus, like it or not." The boy averted his eyes and hunched his shoulders while the headmaster kept talking, "So far, the only thing I am strictly sure about is that I am the one who ignites fear in the Dark Lord. Maria must be the one born in a time that will never come to light again, albeit I don't understand why the prophecy describes her as such. None of our births will ever come to light again."

Maria sighed, seeing no other way out, and uncovered the secret Albus had longed to hear, "I knew about horcruxes because I come from the future, sir. The Room of Requirement brought me here from 2016. I have told nobody but them about this. I know how the war ended in my timeline, in 1998, so I tried to accelerate the process here and save some lives. Destroying the horcruxes is the key."

Albus reflected on it, not really surprised by the news. He had always felt there was something that didn't fit with Maria, and what she had just told him, although crazy, was plausible and coherent with the prophecy. He didn't believe a student had such an imagination to invent something like that, anyhow. Maria was being sincere.

"If you really are from the future, then the description of the prophecy makes most likely changed the future you come from with your interaction, thus erased it. The time you were born in will never be the same…"

"Does that mean she will disappear? If the time she was born will never exist, then she shouldn't exist either, right?" inquired Regulus, wringing his hands.

"She won't disappear, Regulus. She would have done so already if that was the case."

The students sighed in relief, particularly Maria. That question had been in the back of her mind for far too long. She had not dared to give it a second thought and simply focused on the present, afraid of the possible answer.

"There are millions of world dimensions… Maria comes from one of them and travelled back to ours. I don't know for sure if another Maria Ruiz will be born again in our time and dimension. What I am certain of is that, if she is born, she will be different as the world she will be born in will be different. When using time turners it isn't advisable to see oneself. If we follow the same philosophy, you should avoid stumbling into your other you, Maria. As long as you keep your distance, you will be safe. Everything should be fine."

"Well, that is a relief…" she murmured.

Her friends looked at her sympathetically. Severus took her hand and tangled their fingers. He wasn't sure if he was providing her solace or if he was the one seeking it. The truth was that he had also thought about what would happen with Maria. If the Room of Requirement brought her here, did it mean it could expel her too? He was so terrified of the answer he avoided musing on it all this time, but now he had to admit he was thankful she wouldn't return to the future.

"I have my suspicions about the identity of the last Chosen One…" Maria uttered gravely.

"Pray tell, child."

Maria bit her bottom lip and gulped before suggesting Severus or Regulus.

"Why?" asked Lily.

"I may be wrong, but I guess that the power we have and that the Dark Lord does not, is the knowledge I provide from the future. We are the only ones who know about this, so the Chosen One must be one of us. You aren't a possibility, Lily, for obvious reasons; and Professor Dumbledore and I are already part of the Prophecy."

"But I am not a Death Eater! Severus isn't either! You helped us! We have never been Death Eaters, Maria! It doesn't make sense," complained Regulus in an unusual high-pitched voice.

"On the contrary, it makes all the sense in the world…" Maria looked at Severus, who was glancing at the floor. He intuited what she was about to say, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed. The witch sighed and admitted, "Both of you were Death Eaters once, in my time."

Lily stood frozen and with wide eyes. She felt like they had just thrown a bucket of cold water at her.

"Sev?"

Her voice quivered.

"He isn't a Death Eater now, Lily. He never has been in this timeline," Maria defended him, stepping in front of him as if making a barrier.

Lily shook her head as some tears appeared in the corner of her eyes.

"I thought you didn't have it in you to become… _that_ ," she recriminated with furious eyes. She glimpsed at Regulus then, and added in a bitter tone, "Neither of you."

The youngest slytherin didn't reply. He was still assimilating the new information. Severus was too chagrinned to say anything, even more as he knew she was right to feel disappointed. Lily made to leave, but Maria spoke up again, "Lily, wait! You don't know the whole story!"

"And you do?!" she scoffed. "You come from the future; that much is true, but you never met Severus. You never met Regulus. All you know is thanks to a few books and your History Professor!"

Maria gasped in shock, but quickly narrowed her eyes and shrieked, "I know more than you do! Both joined the Death Eaters, yes! And I don't know the reason! I will probably never know! But both Severus and Regulus _died_ for a good cause! Severus became a spy! He spied for Dumbledore all his life! And he did it for you, because he loved you! You and James died and Severus protected your son until his last breath! And Regulus? Regulus found out about the Slytherin Locket and died trying to defeat You-know-who! I may have never met them, but the facts speak for themselves, don't you think?"

Maria had made sharp movements with her hands during her disclosure and her cheeks were flushed in anger. She was breathing hard and Severus didn't hesitate to put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. She inhaled deeply, but she was still feeling indignant and angry at Lily, who was looking at them with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Albus was observing the scene with interest.

"Without Regulus and Severus, You-know-who could have won. They made mistakes, but they died for a good cause. And you can't imagine how thankful I am that I met them before they could make those errors. I gained a brother and a boyfriend. And now I know I will lose one of them soon. There is only one horcrux left, the Slytherin Locket. This will end soon, and I don't want to lose them. I _can't_. I have already lost all my family and friends. I lost too many people…"

She was crying by the end, and Severus hugged her by the waist, trying to console her. There was nothing he hated more than seeing tears flowing down the cheeks of the person he cherished the most in his life. He just wanted to take her in his arms and drive all her troubles away.

"I am sorry. I didn't know. I…" Lily trailed off, ashamed and flushed. She didn't sound disappointed or angry anymore, just confused. "Why didn't you tell us all of that?"

"What good would it have done?" retorted Maria, drying her tears. "I thought you would feel better without knowing people you care about died… I actually think I revealed too much just now."

They all fell silent, not knowing how to proceed from there.

"James and I will have a son?" Lily asked all of a sudden with a hopeful expression.

"You did in my times…"

"And Severus loved me enough to protect the son of his enemy and to become a spy?"

Severus spoke up then, his voice neutral, "The other Severus never knew Maria. You would have been the only person in his life who would have shown some affection towards him, his only friend. I think it is only natural to say that he loved you."

Her emerald eyes softened.

"Why do you know James and I died and had a son, anyway? I guess that many people passed away during the war. Why are we so important?"

"There was a prophecy. The Boy who lived, your son… He was the one who defeated He-who-must-not-be-named," Maria admitted reluctantly.

"And you chose to keep that to yourself, again," she reproached.

"He isn't even born, Lily. Put yourself in my shoes… How do I know what is essential to tell and what is not? And anyway, we have changed too many things… There's a new prophecy to prove that. I don't know who will survive this time around. I know so much, yet so little. I am sorry. Perhaps I should have told you before. I just… I did what I thought was best. You have to believe me. I didn't want to hurt you or worry you with things we can't control and that won't even happen the same this time around."

This conversation was giving Lily a headache. These pieces of information were overburdening her. She was supposed to have a son who defeated You-know-who, her best friend became a Death Eater but protected her son and died for a good cause just because he loved her, and Regulus also died trying to destroy a horcrux… She could see why Maria had chosen to keep it all for herself now. She was better off being ignorant.

"I am sorry for the way I overreacted. It's just… This is too much to take at once," said Lily, rubbing her temples and shutting her eyes.

"I know," assured Maria with a rueful grin. "I made a big deal of it too. I-I think we are all overwhelmed. We all are over the edge and aren't thinking clearly. It's okay, Lily."

"We should leave, Maria. We have already made a scene," proposed Severus, concern etched across his features, glaring at Albus now and then.

"We still need to discuss many things. Time is a privilege we lack," reminded the old wizard.

"Severus is right, sir. I think it would be good for us to take a ten minutes break," argued Regulus, "This is exhausting."

Exhausted was a weak adjective to describe their faces. Albus sighed, and granted their wish. He could see that they wouldn't be productive enough to discuss anything else without a break.

The teenagers marched out. None of them realized that a certain rat slipped out the office just before the door closed and they left.

They decided to go to a nearby empty classroom and protect it with silencing charms so that nobody eavesdropped. Maria paced across the room, her arms wrapped around herself.

"I am really sorry. I put on quite a show, didn't I?"

"Maria, it's okay," tried to soothe Severus as he brought her to him, stopping her fretful walk.

"No, it's not. You didn't want Dumbledore to know and-"

"And he caught us. The question is why. He knew you lied, but he didn't know about what. He didn't know about the future thing until you told him…"

"James," muttered Lily.

"What?" asked Regulus, at a loss.

"He was suspicious of what we were doing. I never told him anything, but that only worried him even more. He probably went to Professor Dumbledore thinking he was doing something good for me… He doesn't really trust you."

"Figures," huffed Severus in a bitter tone. "But that still doesn't explain why Dumbledore knew that horcruxes were the key and that we were hunting them…"

"He didn't know about that before I came in," said Lily, her voice only above a whisper, "He asked me why we went so frequently to the Room of Requirement. It may sound stupid, but I had the impression he was reading my mind."

Severus cursed the man, instantly knowing he had used legilimency on his friend.

"We were so focused on me that we forgot about teaching occlumency to Regulus and Lily…" sighed Maria apologetically.

"We can't do anything about it now," said Regulus, "Besides, if the prophecy is true, we really need Dumbledore in order to succeed. We must tell him everything."

Severus loathed this turn of events. Everything was going fine until a bloody prophecy appeared out of the blue and the old twat complicated things. He sighed in defeat and his girlfriend clutched his hand.

"I am really sorry about the way I overreacted…" blurted out Lily. "I wasn't acting like a friend."

Her tone had been truthful and her face held remorse, so the slytherins nodded, letting her know she was forgiven. They really had no time to waste on useless disputes, anyway, and they needed her support. She was still their friend. Emotions had taken a toll on them all, and all of them had responded impulsively, not only her.

"Maria, are you sure either Severus or I will die?" inquired Regulus with a trembling voice, although he was trying to strike a confident pose.

"I really wish I am wrong. I meant it. I can't bear to lose you."

Tears rolled down her cheeks again, and no matter how hard she tried to wipe them away, more tears formed in her brown eyes. She cursed in Spanish for exposing her emotions so much and informed, "I'll go to the bathroom and wash my face. You can go to the office. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Severus and Regulus made to go after her, but Lily stopped them.

"I'll go. You cannot enter the girls' lavatory."

The boys nodded aversely and saw as she ran out to the bathroom. Lily followed the echoes of some cries until she found her.

"Maria! Are you okay?"

"What do you think?! I am tired of losing people! I am tired of death! I don't want Severus or Regulus to leave me! I love them!"

Her voice cracked when she muttered the word _love_ and Lily could do nothing but take the girl in her arms and rock her back and forth in a comforting motion.

"Do you really believe in prophecies?"

"I don't want to believe in them, but the prophecy about your son was fulfilled. I am scared…" Maria admitted, clinging to her friend.

"Maria, if I know someone determined enough to stop that from happening, that is you… Besides, you are not alone in this. Now that we know about the prophecy, we can do something about it. Neither Severus nor Regulus will go without a fight, and we will stand by their side."

Maria gave her a soft smile, although it didn't really reach her eyes. Lily tightened her grip on her before giving her some space so that she could wash her face. When they returned to the headmaster's office, the boys were waiting outside, looking deadly worried.

"Maria!" yelped Regulus, "Are you okay?"

"Not really," she sighed, dropping her shoulders.

Regulus pouted and squeezed her hand in encouragement. Maria flashed him a smile that, despite not showing her teeth, made Severus sigh in relief. He pulled her close to him and the girl didn't hesitate to hold him.

"That's it… Hugs will make you feel better. I learnt that from you," he whispered while he drew patterns on her back, making the girl giggle.

He kissed her temple with so much tenderness that Regulus and Lily were dazed for a second. Then, Severus beckoned his friends to go in already. The couple followed them and sat in front of the headmaster.

"Are you feeling good enough to explain everything to me?"

Maria nodded and told Albus about the horcruxes and the theory about the master of death, about their progress. Her friends sometimes interrupted her to include some details while the headmaster maintained a neutral expression.

Their report finished. They all held their breaths and waited for Dumbledore's next move.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Albus stroked his beard in deep concentration.

"You said that you own the venom, but that you haven't destroyed the four horcruxes you have already found yet. Is that correct?" The four students nodded. "And the boy from the prophecy, Harry Potter, destroyed them by using Gryffindor's Sword infected with basilisk venom, although a dark spell can manage to burn them down too… Am I right?"

"Yes, sir. We don't have the sword, but I figured any other weapon would be of use as long as it had the venom," argued Maria.

"Well, we don't need to look for any other weapon. The sword is in my possession."

The students felt like a big weight had been lifted from their shoulders. They would not have to waste time thinking about what could work to get rid of the horcruxes.

"That is not all… I know where the last horcrux is," added Albus.

"There are thousands of caves, sir. How can you be so sure?" Severus asked in a wary tone.

"Tom Riddle, the man you know as You-know-who or Lord Voldemort, was an orphan. He used to venture out into a cave nearby the orphanage. That would be an excellent place to hide Slytherin's Locket."

"We've got nothing to lose," observed Lily. "When can we go after it?"

"Tonight."

"Is there a reason we are doing this so soon when we are all feeling emotionally exhausted?" demanded Severus, arching an eyebrow. "It isn't sensible."

"We have no choice. Fawkes will die anytime now. The burning day will be either today or tomorrow."

They glanced at the decrepit phoenix with dimmed feathers, and although they were no experts, they could see that the headmaster was right. Right then, time and destiny were conspiring against them.

"We shall go to the Room of Hidden Things to destroy all the horcruxes now. You can sleep until midnight, when we will meet in the Astronomy Tower to go to the cave. You are free to stay in the castle too, waiting," Albus said looking at Regulus pointedly.

Going to a place where you knew you had died once couldn't be easy, that much he figured.

"There is no way in hell I am staying here, sir," he claimed, standing up with his shoulders back, as if urging them all to get moving already and get the tasks done.

They followed his suit and parted as soon as Dumbledore placed an invisibility charm on the sword. Regulus ignored the worried glares his friends sent him, or at least pretended to, on the way to the seventh floor. Careful that nobody watched them, they entered the Room of Hidden Things, retrieved all the horcruxes and laid them on the floor. Albus put the venom on the blade and beckoned them to get the sword.

"Most of us are slytherins, sir…"

"That matters not, Regulus. Only a true Gryffindor can take the sword from the Sorting Hat. That doesn't mean any other person can't use it. You have worked to hunt these horcruxes. There are four of them, and four of you. It is only fair that each of you takes care of one."

The four friends exchanged looks and nodded.

Lily started with Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. She took the sword and raised it despite the heavy iron. The first blow caused the multiplication of hundreds and hundreds of helmets, catapults, lamps, books and other items from the magical room. Her friends and Dumbledore's attempts to stop it were futile. Being a gryffindor, the fear didn't paralyze Lily one bit. On the contrary, she turned more determined than ever and, with the sword held strongly, she hurried to destroy the horcrux beyond repair before the objects suffocated them all. A smoggy figure that resembled Voldemort flew away from the Cup and finally evaporated. They were able to vanish all the objects that blocked the air to their lungs right after that, still shaking. They could almost feel how close to asphyxia they had been, the fragment of soul was still visible in their minds.

"Those were after-effects of destroying the horcruxes… Voldemort cursed the objects to avoid their destruction. We must stay alert," advised Albus.

The students nodded, trying to get rid of the nasty feelings in their stomachs.

Severus went next, feeling more secure now that he knew what to expect, or so he thought. He chose the Diary. He lifted Gryffindor's sword and mimicked Lily's moves, yet the book opened before the blade scraped the pages. The shock was enough to parry the weapon's trajectory midair. The Diary belched out a spiral of smoke that twined until it mirrored Maria, bar the eyes. The eyes of the replica were lifeless; the cheerful, warm air the real Maria carried with her was replaced with a calculating, cold one.

"You think I love you?" taunted the clone. "You, fool! Who could ever _like_ you, let alone love you?"

Her words were like daggers in his heart. She had been the first person to ever tell him she loved him. Now she was taking it back. It hurt so much he didn't hear the real Maria screaming. He wasn't aware that the others attempted to jinx and hex impostor he was transfixed by, albeit unsuccessfully. No spell affected her.

"Your father was right! You are pathetic!" kept jeering the fake Maria with a sneer on her face.

"Maria, you don't mean that…" the boy managed to let out, although his tone was anything but confident.

"Severus! Don't listen to her! She isn't me! The horcrux is playing with you! Come on!" his real girlfriend begged, taking his free hand.

He still didn't listen to her or feel her warm touch, his eyes fixed on the replica. Lily and Regulus began to worry, but Albus insisted that they had to wait. Severus had to come out of his trance, and the only one who could help him with that was the real Maria.

"You were supposed to be a realistic and intelligent guy, _Snivellus_ … I thought you would realize that it would be foolish of me to be with you when I could have Sirius. He's handsome, funny, popular… Everything you are _not_. He and I had a good laugh when you caught us snogging… Can't you see? It was a prank, and you fell right into it. I will never feel anything but _revulsion_ towards a greasy git like you!"

When the duplicated Maria mentioned Sirius Black and called him those cruel nicknames, something in Severus broke. Unshed tears stung in his eyes. His whole body trembled, and he kept shaking his head in denial. Fearing that Severus would let go of the sword, Maria caught his wrist firmly and moved her other hand onto his cold-sweated cheek, forcing him to look at her. The stab of pain in his black eyes evoked a sense of helplessness in her. She hated seeing him so vulnerable.

"Severus Snape, I'll be damned if you can't distinguish a pitiable copy from the real me!" she cried out.

And she kissed him. He didn't reciprocate at first, but something sparked in his chest when a salty taste invaded him. A single impotent tear had fallen down and reached their lips, he wasn't sure if it was his or hers. The Maria that had poked fun at him had appeared cold. This Maria was warm. This Maria was cupping his face as if she was holding her whole world. They couldn't be the same person. He twigged: the horcrux was playing with him. But then, if the real Maria was kissing him, what was the copy doing?

He forced himself to open his eyes. There wasn't another Maria anymore, only a slytherin boy he had never met. He was about to steal the weapon from him. Luckily, Severus was quick-witted enough to break the kiss and thrust the venom-filled sword into the Diary. The pages bled out while the slytherin boy screamed and writhed in pain before dissolving.

Maria, Lily and Regulus sighed in relief. Severus was breathing hard. He let go of the sword, the noise echoing in the room, and he hugged his girlfriend with his thin, slightly quivering arms. His right hand was pressing the back of her head onto his chest, while his left hand was on her mid back.

"Maria?"

"Shhh. It's me…"

He tightened his grip then and choked, "Merlin, for a moment I thought-"

"It was the horcrux influence, Severus. That wasn't me… I would never hurt you like that. You know that, don't you?"

Severus nodded and the girl pecked his cheek.

"You did very well," she assured, hoping to appease him. "I am sorry you had to go through that. Sirius and I haven't even talked since he gave me that love potion… You know that. There is nothing between us, there never was. And you aren't pathetic. You are far from it…"

While the couple kept holding each other, Regulus surmised, "The slytherin boy was You-know-who."

"He was," affirmed Albus.

"Do you think that He-who-must-not-be-named feels that he is losing a part of his soul when we destroy his horcurxes?" Lily wondered.

Albus shook his head and replied he didn't know. Lily and Regulus exchanged worried looks and gulped.

Maria let go of a slightly flustered Severus and took the Sword. Lily went to his side and grabbed his hand, trying to tranquilize him and let him know he shouldn't feel ashamed of what had happened. That brought a tiny grin to his lips. Lily had always been able to make him smile.

An earthquake shook the room while Maria destroyed Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. The teenagers gathered together while Albus cast protection spells with swift, secure moves of his wand that prevented the thousands of objects of the room from falling over and injuring them all. Voldemort's agonizing scream popped out from the horcrux, deafening for a moment. The noise deadened. The tremors melted away. That piece of soul existed no more.

Regulus took care of the ring next. The heavy sword was lifted in the air, ready to hit its aim, but something halted him. He felt drawn to the ring; he _needed_ to put it on. Maria noticed it in his eyes, which turned a darker grey shade, and squeaked, "Regulus! Severus's father died because of that bloody ring! Don't you dare follow in his steps!"

Regulus snapped out of his trance. He locked eyes with Maria, who had concern written all over her face. He hated seeing her so worried. Suddenly, the invisible rope that had been pulling him towards the cursed object wasn't so strong. He could fight against his impulses. The point of the sword ravaged the ring and the group could finally breathe.

Only one horcrux remained to be found.

Albus reached for the battered stone of the ring and inspected it.

"Your suspicions were correct …" he murmured more to himself than to the youngsters. "This is the Resurrection Stone. It still works."

"James has the cloak," informed Lily.

"And I am the owner of the elder wand…" Albus added.

"You should to be the master of Death if we want to defeat You-know-who," deduced Severus. "You are supposed to be the one he fears, right?"

He gave a slow nod and Maria suggested, "Lily, you should explain everything to James… We need his cloak and I don't want your relationship to deteriorate more because of me."

The girl nodded and hugged her friends, one by one, lingering more on Severus. She let out a distressed sigh and took her leave, Albus right behind her.

Regulus looked at Severus and extended his hand, not really expecting Severus to shake it, but he did, and even though no words were exchanged between them, their looks transmitted everything. They made a silent vow that, no matter who didn't get to live after the Battle, they would take care of Maria.

Regulus faced the girl then, who was struggling not to cry again.

"Sis…"

That was everything he needed to say for Maria to crush him in a tight hug and tell him she loved him.

"Love you too," he whispered, caressing her hair and letting the familiar touch envelope and mollify him.

It seemed like he couldn't escape fate. He could very well die tonight. If Maria hadn't come, he would have died young anyway. At least, now he had lived a happier life, with no Dark Mark tainted on his forearm, with a sister to rely on. All in all, he was frustrated but essentially thankful he had met her.

Maria, on the other hand, hated there was a high chance she would not spend more time with him, no more crazy adventures, no more snowball fights or simple chit-chats. She would even miss the recurrent teasing about sex.

"I am sorry about everything…"

"I am not. Meeting you has saved me from the loneliness that the Regulus from your time probably suffered. Remember that if I slip away, okay?"

"Don't talk about it, please."

"You are the best sister ever."

Regulus felt her tightening her grip at that, as if telling him she felt the same about him. He kissed the top of her head and extracted himself from the embrace. He could see her face now. A single tear had won the battle and made its way down her freckled cheek. The boy wiped it away with his thumb and gave her one of his cocky boyish grins. He wasn't feeling happy, but he knew Maria needed to see him composed, and smiling, even if the smile wasn't entirely meaningful, tricked them both into believing he was okay.

"See you later, guys!" he exclaimed as if nothing bad lay ahead of them.

His steps didn't echo anymore. He was outside.

Suddenly, the Room transformed itself into the flowering field Severus and Maria were used to, as if it sensed they needed some fresh air and a palliative scenario. There were some mountains in the distance, and a couple of trees stood near the slytherins. The scent of poppies was what they needed to forget about the damned prophecy, even if it was for a fraction of a second.

A pair of arms enfolded Maria firmly from behind.

"Professor Dumbledore should have told me about the prophecy earlier. We would have been more prepared. I feel like time is going way to fast. I feel like I cannot control anything, and I hate it."

"We can do nothing about it now," he replied calmly, not willing to spend his last moments thinking about the old twat.

"How can you be so composed when you know that in a few hours we will be in the middle of a Battle?" wondered the girl, spinning to face him.

"I am trembling inside, Maria, but I refuse to let that stop me from doing what I want…"

"And what do you want?"

He didn't answer her verbally, but then again, most important things couldn't be expressed with simple words. Instead, he lowered his head slowly, and pressed his lips upon hers. He moved them tentatively, at an unrushed pace, and he felt her sighing into the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck while his hands found her hips. Severus drew back and took a moment to study her face. He traced her lips with his thumb, her cheekbones and jaw, her chin. He stared at the freckles he had long memorized and then looked straight at her chocolate eyes with greenish bits under her glasses. He kissed her snub nose and asked, almost shyly, "Can we cuddle while we get some sleep?"

The memory of him pushing her away and telling her he didn't like hugs flashed across her mind, and she almost chuckled at the irony that he was asking for them now. But she didn't because she wanted to feel close to him too, and cuddling would provide her that, although there was something else that had been in her mind for quite some time and that she wanted to try.

"Do you really want to sleep?"

He sighed. The truth was that sleeping sounded like a stupid idea when his heart supplicated him to hug her, snog her and go as far as Maria was willing to do far more intimate things. He just wanted to be with her, to be as close to her as possible. Nonetheless, the voice in his head was too loud for him to ignore.

"We should if we want to be wide awake to hunt the last horcrux and get through whatever is going to happen afterwards…"

"And what if I told you I am not ready to go to sleep just yet?"

Severus arched an eyebrow in puzzlement and Maria bit her lip.

"I want to do something first."

She took a short intake breath and kissed him. Warmth jolted through them as she cupped his face. He brought her closer to him and kissed her back just as gently as her. They parted and Maria gazed up at him with adoration and tenderness before her brown orbs sparked with something else. She had never looked at Severus that way before, and the intensity made him feel a deep smoldering heat within him. Suddenly, all the fantasies he had about getting intimate with Maria sprang to mind. _Get a grip,_ he chided himself, seeking to conceal his corporal reactions.

She stepped back and removed her sweater and slytherin tie. Severus stood in shock until he comprehended what she intended to do. This wasn't a dream of his. This was happening. She was about to unbutton her shirt when he clutched her wrist.

"Maria, come on. There's no need to do this. You told me you weren't ready. I respect that."

"That was months ago," she reminded him.

"You are only doing this because you fear that I will not survive. If we do this, it shouldn't be because of that."

He grimaced while he spoke, as if he was in pain. He wanted to do this so much, but at the same time, he would hate himself if she regretted it, and the only plausible explanation for her change of mind was the bloody prophecy and lack of time.

"I want to do this because I love you."

He let go of her wrist and averted her fiery gaze, feeling overwhelmed by the wealth of emotions it held. Stubbornness was her middle name though, so she put a hand under his chin and forced him to look back at her. He was feeling exposed, utterly scared; she read it in his black depths.

"Maria, don't do this for me."

His voice had seldom come out so feeble. He sounded like he was struggling with himself, trying hard not to take up her offer.

The girl unfastened the first button, revealing some cleavage. Severus promptly turned his head and inhaled sharply, keeping the tempting sight out.

"Maria, please," he begged.

"Did you know that you were my first kiss?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard him.

Severus didn't make a move.

"You are my first boyfriend, my first love, and I want you to be my first _everything_. I know it may seem irresponsible, illogical. The thing is that right now I don't care. If there was no prophecy, I would still want to do this. There is nobody else I this world I would have ever considered to lose my virginity to."

Severus swallowed hard and closed his eyes, torn between the thin line between his head and his heart. He loved her. He loved her so much. And he desired her. Bloody hell! Why did she have to make things so complicated? Couldn't she see his common sense was extinguishing? Couldn't she see that if she kept doing that there would be no turning back?

"I want you. I have always wanted you… Don't you want me?"

In spite of keeping his eyes set on the mountains of the horizon, Severus sensed her insecurity and vulnerability in her voice, which quavered as if she was on the verge of tears.

"Dammit, Maria! Of course I want you! How can you even doubt that?!"

"You aren't even looking at me!" she countered back, pointing to him.

"I am not looking at you because I know that I will lose all sense of reason if I do it!" he blew up.

There was a pause. The air was thick. Their breaths were ragged.

"Severus. I've been thinking about doing this for a long time now… I haven't acted on it because the thought of giving myself completely to someone frightened me… But you know what? I am no longer afraid because I have the absolute certainty that, if we choose to do this, you will give yourself completely to me too. This will bond us deeper. This won't hurt us. If you are holding back because you think I am only thinking about you, because I pity you or don't want you to die without doing this, then think twice. I am a little more selfish. I am doing this because I need you."

"The war…" he muttered, his voice wobbly. He was shaking his head, as if convincing himself. "The war is clouding your judgement."

"The war is opening my eyes. Without the war, I wouldn't have travelled back in time, I wouldn't have met you and fallen in love with you… Without the war, I wouldn't have been brave enough to be straightforward and ask you to make love with me, despite knowing that that is what my heart desires. The question here is whether you feel the way I do. I won't force you to do anything."

Severus made the mistake of glimpsing at the girl, who had unfastened yet another button. That crumbled the little resistance he had. He grabbed her by the cheeks and crushed her back against a tree, making her gasp before he delved his tongue into her mouth. He had been more aggressive than intended, but by the way Maria was responding to his hungry kiss, he could tell she didn't care. Hence, he slanted his head further, deepening it, an ardent feeling blossoming inside them.

Severus broke the kiss to breathe and saw that her eyes were a darker shade of brown, her green flecks almost disappearing, her pupils dilated, filled with lust like they had never been before, so different from the way Maria's replica glared at him.

"Maria, I… I have never done this before and this will probably be far from perfect but-"

"Shhh. We'll figure it out together… I bet it isn't that complicated," she ended with a teasing tone while she put her index finger on his lips.

He had the urge to kiss it, so he did. It wasn't like he had the time to be shy by then. He was determined to show her just how much he cherished her.

The girl wondered why she had ever felt afraid of taking that step with him when there was no way in hell he would ever hurt her. Despite feeling no fear, she had never done this, and she couldn't restrain a nervous yet excited giggle. Severus felt a smile threatening to appear on his face. He didn't fight it.

"I love you," he muttered in a thick voice.

"And I you."

"You are my first _everything_ too…" he murmured, his breath warm on her lips.

She smiled fondly and glanced at him with shimmering eyes.

"We are doing this," he mumbled, as if trying to convince himself that this wasn't one of his fantasies.

"Well, it took me more time than planned to persuade you," she quipped. "But yes, we are about to _get intimate_."

As if he hadn't heard her, he kept babbling, "Merlin! We are finally going to- umph."

Maria cut him off with a firm kiss which drew out a low groan from him, her fingers curled in his hair, amazed that she could make him produce such sounds. She went from feeling powerful to be at his mercy with a simple kiss on the tender area at the base of her neck. A little bite and her breathing accelerated in anticipation. When he licked the prickling zone while his hands slowly unbuttoned her shirt, she gave the sweetest whimper he had ever heard. He was determined to hear that again. He was so into it that he almost didn't listen to her husking, "I don't really want you to stop, but it would be nice to continue this on that bed…"

He shot his head up and followed her gaze. Amongst the sea of poppies there was a big mattress.

He smirked mischievously and said hoarsely, "I adore this room."

* * *

Maria and Severus were lying face to face on their sides. Their legs were intertwined and Severus kept playing with her wavy brown locks while their breathing evened.

"Was it g-good for y-you?" he stuttered, cursing himself for sounding so insecure.

Maria smiled radiantly at him and purred, "It was more than good, Severus…" Suddenly, she became apprehensive. She furrowed her brow and mumbled, "Why are you asking? Wasn't it good for you? Did I do something wrong?" She gasped as the realization hit her. She covered her eyes and cried out, "Oh my Gosh! You regret it, don't you? That's why you-"

"Maria!" he yelped, cutting her rambling and uncovering her flustered face. "I have never felt so… _satiated,_ so _complete_. You did nothing wrong. In fact, you did _very_ well… It was marvelous, the most perfect thing in the world." _No fantasy I've ever had can compare to what we've just shared_ , he added to himself.

The comment turned her cheeks crimson and swept off her doubts.

"It meant a lot to me. The only thing I regret is that time isn't on our side," he confessed while he stroked her cheek, his black eyes filled with hopeless longing.

"Severus, don't," she implored, trying to make him understand she didn't want him to refer to his possible death.

He didn't listen to her though, for he kept talking, "You have been the best thing in my life. You never judged me. You made me feel like it was okay to be myself. You made me laugh. You supported me. You taught me how to live and be happy. I love you, always will. Whatever happens tonight, whatever happens tomorrow will not change that."

Unshed tears brimmed over her eyes.

"If I am the one who slips away, take care of my mother for me."

"Severus," she choked.

"She has already lost my father. She wouldn't bear my loss, not without your help, so promise me, please."

"I promise," she rasped.

"Don't you lose the fire inside you, your kindness, your willingness to fight for a better world… That's why I fell in love with you."

That was the last straw to release the tears she had blinked back. She tried to turn around to keep him from seeing her so affected, but he rolled them over so that she was under him and couldn't escape, his hand still caressing her now wet cheek.

"Please don't cry… You know I've always hated to see you cry. If I really have to go, I don't want to remember you like this…"

Maria covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sobs that were racking her body. Severus lay next to her again, and she quickly snuggled into him, pursuing comfort. He held her as he drew patterns on her nude back and whispered words he had never thought he would pronounce, even less in such a gentle tone, surprised at how natural it felt. When her crying subsided a few minutes later, he smiled and murmured sweetly, "That's my Spanish Princess…"

The pet name made the girl giggle.

"Will you ever get tired of calling me that?"

"Never," he said dead serious. "Your reactions whenever I call you Spanish Princess are too hilarious to even think about ever dropping the nickname…"

She smiled and leaned forwards to peck his thin lips. Severus pressed her head and turned the innocent kiss into an ardent one. It was slow, as if he tried to memorize every single detail of her, from her tear-salty taste to her sensitive touch and the fragrance of poppies that her hair had been impregnated with.

"Guess we should sleep now…" he panted, after pulling back.

"While cuddling," she bossed.

"Obviously," he replied, letting out a low chuckle.

Maria took her wand and transfigured a poppy into an alarm clock. She set the alarm and settled comfortably next to Severus, who snaked his arms around her and spooned her from behind, almost possessively. They assumed that they wouldn't fall asleep, yet the presence of the other was enough to allay them.

The last thought Severus had before drifting off to sleep was that he should have followed Lily's advice and asked for Maria's hand before they found themselves trapped in this deathly labyrinth with no exit. He had already attained the engagement ring, but he wouldn't be able to give it to her. She wouldn't agree to marry him even if he woke her up and asked her right then, not when he probably had less than a day left in this world.

* * *

Fawkes burst into a flame and was reborn from the ashes a few minutes after midnight, right after Dumbledore apparated with the four students near the cave. The burning day had come, and the one who followed the Dark Lord once would not live to see the dawn.

…

 **A/N:** _So this chapter has not been betaed. I apologize if any grammar mistakes have made you cringe. I'm actually looking for a beta, so if you are interested, pm me :)_

 _ **GUEST REVIEW:** I can't help but notice a whole scene seems to have been cut out. The one detailing their bedtime activities. Plz repost._

 _ **ANSWER:** Hello, guest reviewer! This story is T rated, so I cannot go graphic into sexual matters. I can only hint at sex. That's why I 'cut' the scene. However, if you or more people are interested in reading their detailed bedtime activities, as you put it, I could write the scene and post it as a separate story. Of course, that would be rated M. Let me know what you think ;)_


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** _I answered a guest review in the last chapter. Just in case you didn't see it, here it is:_

 _ **GUEST REVIEW:** I can't help but notice a whole scene seems to have been cut out. The one detailing their bedtime activities. Plz repost._

 _ **ANSWER:** Hello, guest reviewer! This story is T rated, so I cannot go graphic into sexual matters. I can only hint at sex. That's why I 'cut' the scene. However, if you or more people are interested in reading their detailed bedtime activities, as you put it, I could write the scene and post it as a separate story. Of course, that would be rated M. Let me know what you think ;)_

 **Chapter 30**

"Are you absolutely certain that this passage leads to Hogwarts, Pettigrew? I don't tolerate time-wasters," Lord Voldemort warned, clutching his wand tightly in a threatening way.

There was a full army of Death Eaters behind them. Even some dementors were gliding past some trees of the Forbidden Forest, freezing all the wild flowers, the bushes and the leaves on the way.

Peter was shaking but managed to give a brief nod and babble, "Positive. I know every spot and corner of Hogwarts, my lord. I guarantee you. My friends and I have been sneaking out since I can remember and we have never got caught when we went through this passage…"

Voldemort crinkled his mouth and spat, "You better be right, Pettigrew. The prophecy said they had the power to vanquish me, but it never said they would actually succeed. They don't know where they have gotten themselves into."

Peter doubted, if only for a second, whether what he was about to do was worth it. He didn't really care much about Severus, and Sirius wasn't in good terms with Regulus for him to care about the young Black, anyway, but Maria… He really had nothing against her. And his friends. Prongs, Padfoot and Moony. All of them would hate him. One glimpse at his impatient master and his decision was made. He entered the passage. Voldemort and the army of Death Eaters followed close behind. A sudden feeling of guilt haunted Peter, but there was no turning back. If only he hadn't heard the damned prophecy… Now he wouldn't be in this mess.

* * *

Dumbledore guided Lily, Regulus, Severus and Maria to the cave, making their way among the waves until they reached the inside. Their clothes dried with a flick of his wand. Albus inspected the ceiling and the walls, and the teenagers waited in expectation, shivering from the cold or fear, they weren't sure. He found a door. After passing his hand over it in deep concentration, he revealed that they were required to make a payment in order to pass.

"What kind of payment?" demanded Severus.

"Blood, if I am not mistaken."

The adolescents cringed, and Regulus couldn't help but choke, "Blood?!"

"The idea is that your enemy must weaken him or herself to enter. Luckily, Lord Voldemort never understood that there are much more terrible things than physical injury."

Albus took out a knife from his robes, one used to chop ingredients for potions.

"Wait!" cried out Lily. "I'll do it!"

 _Always the gryffindor_ , thought Severus, not really sure if that was a positive or negative thing in that precise moment.

Albus limited to smile and say she was kind, but there was no need. The blade cut his skin, and dark red drops fell on the door. It did the trick, and after the old wizard healed his wound with an incantation, they came into the new opening, which seemed to lead to an infinite darkness. Their wands illuminated the path enough to see they were in a lake. It was then that they distinguished a dull green light coming from its middle.

"The horcrux must be in there. Be careful not to step into the water and follow me," instructed Albus.

The students complied, and they travelled along the edge of the lake for some time. Lily could have sworn she had seen a hand coming from the water, so he got closer to Severus, just to feel more secure. She whispered whether he could see something in the lake. Severus frowned and inspected the surface of the water. He didn't see anything, but he wouldn't put it past Voldemort to hide a monster there in an attempt to fuel fear and to protect the fragment of his soul.

Dumbledore ordered them to stop. They saw him waved his hand in the air as if trying to grip something invisible. He gave a squeal of delight when he found whatever he was looking for, and moved the tip of his wand across the air, revealing a boat in front of them.

"Whoa! How did you know that was there?" wondered Regulus, with genuine admiration.

"Magic always leaves distinctive traces," said Albus, as the boat hit the bank with a gentle bump, "I was Tom Riddle's Professor. I know his style."

Maria raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Is this boat safe?"

"Oh yes, I think so. Voldemort needed to create a means to cross the lake safely if he ever wanted to visit or remove the Locket and evade the creatures of the lake."

Lily and Severus exchanged looks. So she had been right. Some creatures were guarding the horcrux.

"So the _creatures_ won't attack us if we cross in the boat?" asked Regulus, just to clarify.

Dumbledore nodded.

"This is too small for us. Shall I engorge it?" suggested Maria. "Duplicate it?"

Albus gave it some thought and finally shook his head.

"But then only one of us, two at a maximum, will be able to cross!"

"Voldemort would have been confident that none but a very great wizard would have been able to find the boat. The creatures in the lake are used to feeling _this_ boat the way it is. They will become alerted if you engorge it or duplicate it. It is too risky."

"Who is going to get in there then?" asked Severus.

"I will, and Regulus will accompany me."

"Why him?" demanded Maria, putting her hands on her hips. "He already died once here, and he could be the one to whom the Prophecy refers. Why don't I or Lily go instead?"

Albus grinned ruefully. She had never been afraid to question him. It had bothered him at first, but now, he saw that whenever she did that was because she was trying to protect someone, whether it was herself or someone she cared for like Regulus.

"I reckon that this boat is enchanted so that only one wizard at a time can sail in it."

"Regulus can't go with you, then," Severus observed, raising an eyebrow in mistrust.

"Regulus doesn't count. He is underage and unqualified for the job to Voldemort's eyes. He would have never expected a sixteen-year-old boy to reach this boat in the first place. My powers will overshadow his. Voldemort shouldn't underestimate age, but that makes things easier for us. That is the reason why only Regulus can come with me. All of you are of age already."

Unconsciously, Maria reached out for Regulus, as if trying to keep him safe, but the boy pulled a determined face and nodded. Severus put a comforting hand on her back to soothe her, although it seemed like, this time, his touch was not enough to appease her.

"What are we supposed to do meanwhile?" asked Severus.

"If the creatures from the lake come out, combat them. You must act like our guardians. If anything goes terribly wrong, escape and warn Professor McGonagall. I'll destroy this horcrux even if it is the last thing I do, and you must fight Voldemort."

Regulus was already in the boat with Gryffindor's sword when Albus said that. He joined his student. The boat moved on its own towards the center. Now that they were getting closer, they distinguished a little island with a pedestal and a basin. The green glow came from there. They got out of the boat, careful not to touch the water, and took slow steps towards it. It turned out that the light was emitted by a greenish potion that the basin contained.

Albus tried to touch it but found an invisible barrier. Then he tried to vanish it, transfigure it and charm it. It was in vain.

"This potion is meant to be drunk… There is no other way to get the liquid out and find the horcrux."

"But sir, what if it kills you? What if that is why I died?"

"If it comes to this, it will not kill me immediately, Regulus. Lord Voldemort would want to keep the person who reached the island alive long enough to find out how his horcruxes were discovered. Indubitably, this potion's purpose is to prevent me from taking the Locket. You will make sure I keep drinking, no matter what."

Regulus paled. He didn't understand how Albus was capable of keeping a calm attitude.

"Why don't I drink it instead? If I am supposed to die anyway, at least I will have done something necessary to defeat You-know-who. Maria and Severus need you to beat him."

Albus smiled sadly.

"We don't know to whom the Prophecy refers. You don't have to die yet, even if it meant your persona. Perhaps the Prophecy implied that I would defeat Voldemort by drinking this potion. There is no way to be certain, and we do not have the time to work on theories. I will drink it, and you will make sure of it."

It was an ultimatum, so Regulus nodded despite his distress. Albus conjured a glass and filled it with the green substance. He drank it in one gulp and gripped the edge of the basin, his eyes closed in pain.

"Professor!"

Albus ignored him and repeated the act three times. Half-way through the fourth glass, he fell forward against the basin. His breathing was ragged, his eyes still shut.

"Professor! Please! Talk to me!" screamed Regulus.

Albus kept moaning, whining, raving, supplicating him to stop.

This was the man who had aided him when he most needed it, given him a way out of becoming a Death Eater. He had always thought he was powerful, majestic and wise, so it was hard to see him so vulnerable. Realizing that Albus wouldn't drink the potion if it wasn't by force, Regulus quickly refilled the glass and put it into his mouth, brushing off his screams and pleas. He struggled, but the potion was finally drunk.

For a moment, Regulus thought that Albus was dead. He gasped and leaned over him, putting his fingers over the carotid artery, afraid of what he would find or, even worse, lack to find. His heart was still beating. A relieved sigh escaped his mouth. Regulus tried to wake him up with every enchantment he knew until Albus fluttered his eyes open.

"Water…" he panted.

Regulus immediately filled the glass with water conjured by the incantation aguamenti, but the liquid evaporated. He tried it three times. The outcome was the same. The only water he could get was from the lake. Regulus gulped. He knew that would probably equal death, _his_ death. He didn't want to die. Not yet, but he didn't want Severus or Dumbledore to pass away either. Maria needed Severus, and no matter what Dumbledore had told him before, he knew that the Battle against You-know-who would be crude without him to guide them all. The old wizard was far more important than him. If he needed water, then he would provide it one way or another. Regulus directed his glance to the place he knew Maria and his friends stood and hoped they would forgive him for what he was about to do.

He kneeled, refilled the glass with water from the lake and made Albus drink it in a quick movement. Suddenly, his wrist was caught by something damp and cold. Regulus squealed in fear, Gryffindor's Sword fell from his hands. He turned around in order to recuperate it, but what he saw only managed to scare him more: a huge army of inferi rising from the lake. Those were the creatures that had been in perfect slumber under the water.

"Bloody hell!"

He couldn't see the sword, but that was not what worried him the more. He had to get the Locket. He couldn't summon it, and he was afraid one of those creatures would take it. Maria, Severus and Lily were jinxing and hexing the inferi from the distance, but it was still difficult for Regulus to make his way through them and get the horcrux, which still was in the basin.

Through his desperation, a doe-shaped patronus flew towards him. He frowned at it and blocked the attacks from the inferi while trying to listen to Lily's voice, which came from the spirit guardian.

"Fire scares them! Take Albus! Take the boat and escape! Leave the horcrux there. Sev will take care of the rest."

Regulus didn't understand a thing, but he had no time to mull over it. He forgot about the Locket and lugged his Professor towards the boat.

"Fire…" gasped out Albus.

"Don't worry, sir! Everything will be fine!"

Regulus and Albus fled, and when they were halfway to the edge, a gigantic flame invaded the cave. The inferi turned crazy, escaping from it, stumbling upon each other before the fire finally reached them and killed them. Screams of pain that formed goosebumps across the skin filled the cave.

"Dark magic…" breathed Albus.

Regulus gasped and understood everything then. Lily had sent her patronus to report that Severus would cast the fire spell that would destroy the horcrux and deal with the inferi simultaneously. He chuckled in triumph and cursed himself for not thinking about it sooner.

The boat arrived at the edge of the bank and Lily quickly helped Regulus with Albus and ran away, or at least, tried to with the weak man. The uncontrollable fire had burnt the pedestal, and consequently, the horcrux. It was swooping down on them now. Severus tried to control it but was having trouble with it. Maria didn't want to risk losing him, even less when she was aware of the prophecy. Automatically, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the opening. Lily, Regulus and Albus were waiting for them. They apparated just in time before the fiendfyre caught them.

They appeared in an empty street from Hogsmeade. Albus still looked puny.

"We need to get Madam Pomfrey or take you to Saint Mungo's," Lily said.

"There's no time," he murmured, glancing up at the starless sky.

The teenagers followed his suit and gasped when they distinguished the Dark Mark over Hogwarts.

"Bloody hell!" cried out Regulus.

"We need to find another way to get to Hogwarts, and fast."

"But sir, you are unwell and we need you to become the Master of Death and vanquish Voldemort. You are the one he fears," whispered Maria, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm in the cold night, still trembling in fear of what could have happened if they had stayed a few seconds longer in that cave.

"One of you ought to be the Master of Death then… The potion has debilitated me too much; I can't apparate there with you. You need to get going. You're wasting time. Perhaps I am the one he fears simply because I was the one who found his last horcrux… Perhaps I am not supposed to help you in the Final Battle."

"Or perhaps you ought to be the Master of Death as we all agreed and stop making up excuses," retorted Severus, surprising them all. "A bezoar. It works as an antidote for most poisons, and even though I doubt that is the solution, it will make you feel better and give you enough strength to vanquish He-who-must-not-be-named once and for all, now that he is mortal. We just need to find one."

"I can help you with that," a feminine voice intervened.

It belonged to Rosmerta, the landlady of the Three Broomsticks, well-known for her nosiness, but also for her caring attitude. She had stuck her head out of the window of her local. There was light only in her room, meaning that the Three Broomsticks was closed and that she was probably cleaning the place a bit before going to sleep.

"Everybody's gone home since that Mark appeared in the sky…. I heard voices and I couldn't help but eavesdrop… Anyway, I have a bezoar at home. I can give it to you. I could lend you three broomsticks too. You need a way to get to Hogwarts fast, don't you? Seeing as there are no trains at this late hour and that walking isn't fast enough, I say flying is a great alternative."

They all exchanged looks and quickly nodded, thanking the stars that the woman always liked some gossip and lived in front of her business.

A few minutes later, Albus swallowed the bezoar and gave them all a reassuring nod. They bet he wasn't completely fine, but it would suffice for the time being. At least, he hadn't complained.

Rosmerta handed them the three broomsticks, and they quickly got on them and flew away.

Maria had her arms around Severus, her head buried in his shoulder, eyes closed. Flying had never been a hobby of hers. In fact, it frightened her. She preferred muggle bikes or cars. That was the transport she had been brought up with, after all. She didn't feel safe flying in a broomstick. Severus intuited it by the way she was breathing. He caught her hand and gave it a peck. She still held him firmly, but her breathing evened. That was enough for him.

Lily was flying on her own, whereas Regulus and Albus were sharing a broomstick just to make sure he didn't make an extra effort. It was dark, so they couldn't enjoy the landscape. It wasn't like they were feeling in the mood to do so anyway, not when the Dark Mark hung in the air, right above the castle.

They finally arrived at the Astronomy Tower. Screams coming from downstairs reached their hearing. The teenagers exchanged alarmed looks that quickly turned into determination. They would fight this war.

"To the Great Hall," ordered Albus.

He had a hunch Voldemort was there.

The corridors were infested with Death Eaters. Aurors, members from the Order of Phoenix and Professors were battling them, dodging curses, trying to stop them from destroying the school, trying to knock them down before they killed them. Some sixth and seventh-year students were involved in the fight as well, but there was no sight of younger ones. Professor McGonagall must have sent most defenseless students home before anything happened as Albus had instructed before leaving to hunt the last horcrux.

The Great Hall came to view. Albus's instinct hadn't failed him. There Voldemort stood, surrounded by his most loyal Death Eaters. Lily recognized Bellatrix immediately. It was easy by the sound of her maniac laughter and the ruthless way in which she threw curses. The Head Girl shuddered. Narcissa and Lucius were close to the crazy woman. Amongst the crowd, Lily also spotted James, Sirius and Remus, and she didn't know if she felt relieved to know they were alive or scared about what could happen to them. She could already see corpses wearing the school uniform, but she forced herself to overlook them, as well as the smell of blood. There was nothing she could do for them now, except winning this war in their memory.

The Great Hall quietened down under Lord Voldemort's orders. The Death Eaters waited in silence for his command. The students, professors, aurors and members of the Order stood their ground, wands pointed to their enemies, ready to fight back any second.

"Long time no see, Dumbledore," Voldemort hissed. "I see you believe you can vanquish me with the help of a few pathetic students… You've fallen low."

"You wouldn't have come here if you didn't feel threatened, Tom," retorted Albus, who appeared as composed as ever.

Voldemort glowered when he heard the name he had been cursed with after his muggle father and chose to ignore the wizard. He fixed Regulus and Severus with his penetrating gaze instead. The boys felt intimidated, but they did their best to conceal their fear. They were here to defeat the Dark Lord, or so the prophecy said. If they had to die to accomplish that goal, they might as well give a hell of a fight first.

"You were supposed to be my followers. You are on the wrong side… I can spare your lives if you join me."

"Never," Severus said slowly but ferociously, standing tall.

Regulus imitated his pose and uttered he wouldn't either. Those weren't the answers Voldemort expected, and he sneered.

Now that he was distracted, Lily approached James and whispered something to him. He caught her wrist and informed his friends before he dragged her out, subtly disappearing from the scene.

"Foolish responses. Neither of you will live to see the light of the day again."

With that said, he shot a killing curse at Severus, whose eyes widened. Regulus quickly shoved him off. They fell on the floor with a strong thud. Voldemort didn't leave them time to recover and shot another killing curse at the fallen slytherins. Hadn't it been for Sirius, who took them out of the way, the curse would have brushed them and taken their lives away. Dumbledore began a duel with Voldemort then, the detonator that made everybody resume the fight.

"Sirius? You saved us…" Regulus said in wonder, amongst the screams.

"You are my brother, and you and Sniv- er Snape aren't Death Eaters nor will become one… I see it now. I am not going to stand and do nothing when a psychopath dark wizard attempts to murder my own brother and his friend," he whispered, extending his hand to help him get up.

Regulus smiled at him and accepted his help. The war threatened him with taking away many things from him, including his own life, but it had gained him his brother back. It was paradoxical, really. He had been convinced that wars only steal, not grant, but this battle had proved him wrong. The Black brothers positioned themselves back to back to be more protected from the Death Eaters and shot hexes and jinxes to the enemies.

Severus had been as surprised as Regulus, if not more, but he hadn't stayed for the chit-chat, not even to thank Sirius. All he cared about was Maria, so he dashed towards her. The girl looked at him worriedly, but he simply gave her a nod to reassure her he was fine and blocked the attacks they were receiving. They spent a few minutes like that, a few minutes that felt like an eternity. Severus scanned the room, hoping to find a pair of sparkling eyes, an auburn-haired ponytail. No matter where he looked, he didn't spot his friend.

"Where the hell is Lily?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen James either, so my guess is they are together…"

Maria's words didn't have a calming effect on him, who passed a hand through his hair.

"This was supposed to be the safest place on Earth! They were supposed to put protection charms on the school! How did they enter Hogwarts?"

"I don't know, okay?!" she bawled, jinxing a Death Eater from the distance.

"And why would Sirius save me?! He hates me! _I_ hate him!"

"Bloody hell, Severus! Are you going to question life now? Just fight!"

At that moment, Maria identified some dark-hooded figures that resembled wraiths gliding over two students. Dementors. She didn't distinguish the victims, but Maria ran like mad towards them and tried to conjure a patronus with all her might. During the race, one student fell on the floor, dead.

Bryony.

Maria strangled a terrified squeak. Fear and shock paralyzed her. A nasty feeling got in her stomach. Her two roommates were inseparable. If Bryony Shafiq wasn't alive anymore, it meant that Lucinda Talkalot was the other victim of the dementors.

She tried to think of a happy memory, of her mother, her father, her brother and cousin, of her life back in 2016 when there were no big preoccupations and so many deaths surrounding her. Not even a spark came from her wand, let alone her Iberian lynx guardian. Those memories were useless. 2016 wasn't her happiness anymore. She had another life now. The image of her boyfriend crossed her mind. _That's it,_ thought Maria. _I must think of him_.

But it was too late. She saw with big frightened eyes as another dementor approached her. She felt cold, incredibly cold, like ice was enfolding her, and she couldn't think. She was petrified.

Severus saw in fear how Maria broke into a run towards the dementors, then stopped and tried to conjure a patronus. Her unsuccessful attempt granted another dementor the time to get close to her and kiss her. Severus wasn't about to let that happen. He thought quickly of Maria; of how much he loved her; of how much it had meant to surrender his soul, mind, heart and body to her; of how afraid yet willing his heart had been to ask for her hand. He thought of how much happiness she had brought, and the first time she said she loved him, the first time somebody had ever directed those words to him. The last memory was enough to create a silvery light that came out of his wand and formed a spider. Despite the little size, the patronus drove away those dementors that were trying to suck Maria and Lucinda's happiness from their souls. Severus breathed.

This was the first time he had conjured a patronus. He instantly knew why it was a spider, of all the animals on Earth. A spider was not the most appealing creature. But then again, he wasn't appealing either. Spiders were misunderstood, like him. They reminded him of Spinner's End, and the first time Maria confessed she loved him was when he agreed to show her Spinner's End. She had voiced her feelings for him more than once there and expressed them every second by being there for him like nobody else had been. He hadn't even invited Lily home. Only Maria. She hadn't acted differently with him after she saw his home, a place he considered as rotten as his soul. She had accepted hi, and brought felicity even when Eileen became a widow.

Maria's first reaction was to put her hand on her chest and look at her boyfriend, who was cupping her face and seeking signs of injuries. There were none.

"Severus, I'm fine. Lucinda-"

"I-I'm o-okay," she cut her off, yet they saw that not only her voice was trembling but her whole body. "T-thanks for s-saving me."

They didn't know if her shaking was due to fear and sadness upon losing her best friend and nearly following the same fate, or due to the iciness she still felt. Both, most likely. Tears stung in her eyes, and Maria quickly spun her around so that she wouldn't stare at the corpse.

Severus saw how Remus was fighting off a few dementors by himself, no sight of his friends, too many for the boy to keep at bay. He didn't hesitate to run to him and assist him, Maria and Lucinda close behind, jumping through the fallen bodies and broken furniture.

Maria forced herself to forget about the blood and death of the Battle and focused on the emotions that encased her more meaningful memories with her boyfriend: from the tickling torture that almost ended in a kiss and their cuddling sessions at night in Spinner's End, to the dance they shared in the Room of Requirement and the way his eyes softened when he looked at her and told her he loved her. A spiral of silver smoke turned into an Iberian lynx and joined the guardians in shape of a wolf, a spider and a raccoon in a fight against the dementors which soon put them all to flight.

Maria had assumed Lucinda couldn't conjure a patronus, but the silvery raccoon proved her wrong. She guessed that her roommate had tried to save Bryony, but when her friend died she had been too shocked to gather a happy memory.

"Thanks. For a moment I thought my patronus wouldn't be enough," mumbled Remus. He retrieved chocolate bars from his pockets and handed them to Maria and Lucinda. "Here, I saw you almost received a dementor's kiss. This will help you."

Lucinda looked at him with wide eyes and wondered, "Why do you have chocolate?"

"I always have chocolate. It helps me when I," he trailed off, aware he couldn't reveal that he was a werewolf and that chocolate helped him during that time of the month. He cleared his throat and whispered, "When I feel down."

"Where are Lily and Potter?" asked Severus, straight to the point, not really in the mood for an idle chatter.

Remus had no time to answer him, for some Death Eaters attacked them, and they split up: Severus and Maria stayed together, and so did Lucinda and Remus.

On the other side of the Great Hall, Regulus and Sirius kept combatting, shooting hexes and jinxes to every Death Eater they saw, protecting each other from the assaults. They were successful until Bellatrix came into the picture. The brothers knew that their cousin was a Death Eater, but it was still baffling to think that she was willing to kill them in cold blood. She sneered at them and taunted Regulus by calling him a traitor, a disgrace. She didn't even mention Sirius. To her eyes, he wasn't a Black, not anymore. Regulus and Sirius tried to defend themselves, but the shockwaves were still running through their veins, and their movements weren't as swift and precise as usual. Bellatrix had it easy to round them up in a corner, preventing them from escaping or running away. Sirius and Regulus saw the way her eyes darkened, making her look like a soulless beast. This was going to be their end. Regulus was the one who had followed the Dark Lord once. He was the one who would never see the daylight. He knew it then.

…

 **A/N:** _I didn't intend to copy JK Rowling in the cave scene. Some parts are similar because I wanted my story to feel more realistic, but of course, Maria and the other characters changed the situation enough so that it wasn't exactly the same._

 _By the way, there's only one chapter left :)_


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

The Black brothers could almost breathe their upcoming deaths. Sirius held Regulus and curled them into a ball, waiting for the inevitable. Or was it? A shrilling scream rang out and they opened their eyes in time to see Narcissa catching Bellatrix's wand after using the expelliarmus spell on her. Lucius was right behind her, on guard, ready to protect his fiancée from her own sister if necessary.

"They're family, Bella. I thought you wouldn't fall so low," Narcissa drawled, her wand pointing at her.

"And I thought you were on my side," snorted Bellatrix, spitting on the floor to show how disgusted she was with Narcissa.

"I'm on my _family's_ side," she retorted.

"I'm _your_ family."

"You didn't act like it when you were going to kill our cousins. You're only loyal to the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix looked daggers at her and crinkled her nose.

"Blood traitor!" she shrieked, pouncing upon her to recuperate her wand.

Lucius petrified her before she could reach her. Sirius and Regulus stood up, feeling unsafe even though they knew Bellatrix wouldn't bother them, at least for a while.

"Are you okay?" Narcissa asked them.

Sirius nodded but didn't say anything. He was too busy processing what he had just witnessed and trying dodging hexes. Regulus, on the other hand, was able to thank her while fighting.

"No one tries to hurt my family and gets away with it, not even my sister."

"Does that mean you are fighting against You-know-who?"

Narcissa paled. She didn't answer him. She took Lucius by the hand and led him away, leaving a very confused Regulus behind and carrying Bellatrix's wand with her. They managed to get close to the exit, but the noises of the Battle haunted them, sending shivers down their spines.

"Let's get out of here, Lucius. I don't want to take part in this bloodbath," she begged.

He gaped and shook his head.

"I took the Dark Mark… If the Dark Lord wins-"

"If the Dark Lord wins, Regulus, my _cousin_ , will die," she cut him off, coldly. "Severus will die. He won't be able to look for the antidote to save your father. For Merlin's sake! You were a Prefect! How can you fight against students that looked up to you? Is the preservation of pureblood values more important than our family and friends?"

A long, tense silence.

"Fighting against him would be our _own_ demise," he hissed, his face grave.

"I'm not asking you to fight against him. I'm asking you to _leave_."

She had grabbed him by his shoulders, her ice blue eyes pleading him. Some Death Eaters crying the killing curse from afar was the last straw to convince Lucius. They ran away from the Battle and prayed to Merlin that they had made the right decision.

Severus and Maria skirmished back to back. They had lost sight of Remus and Lucinda. Severus could bet that his girlfriend was talking to him, but the noises and screams mixed with her voice and made it difficult for him to decipher the words.

"What?"

"Marry me!" she repeated, loud and clear.

Severus froze. The conversation he had had with Lily in Lestrange Manor replayed in his mind. Unconsciously, his hand went to his pocket, where the engagement ring was kept. Maria saw askance a female Death Eater that attempted to hex Severus, but he didn't move. She couldn't get her in her position, not when two Death Eaters were targeting her. She cursed in Spanish.

"Severus! Don't you just stand there! Fight!"

He recovered from the shock and cast the reductor curse to make a table explode and hit the woman that was about to attack him.

"Are you serious?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, after stupefying the couple of Death Eaters that had tried to hurt her.

"We're in the middle of a bloody war!"

"Precisely! I don't know if I'll get the chance to ask you! I want to marry you!"

Maria spotted a pillar and dragged Severus behind it to shelter themselves from the attacks.

"Bloody hell, Severus! Will you marry me or not? It's not like we have a lot of time to-"

"Isn't the guy supposed to ask this kind of things?" he cut her off with an amused grin that brought butterflies to her stomach and annoyed her simultaneously.

Maria frowned and opened her mouth, ready to tell him that women had the same right to propose than men, but a sense of déjà-vu halted her. He had answered her the same way he did when she asked him to be her boyfriend. Plus, his mischievous yet warm eyes told her that he was merely teasing her. She felt her heart hammering and she couldn't help but repeat the words she had told him back then, dewy-eyed.

"Severus Snape, I am not only a slytherin girl, but a feminist at that, so I get what I want. If I want to ask you to be my husb-"

He interrupted her with a brief peck, mirroring what he had done back then.

"I'll be your husband."

Maria only had time to smile before the cruel titter of some boys resonated. She turned her head.

Mulciber, Avery and Rosier, identical sneers on their faces.

Severus and Maria would have hexed them right away if it wasn't for the shock. They were supposed to be in Azkaban. They had escaped. It was either that, or they had somehow avoided prison thanks to good attorneys, some money, their young age and a corruptive system. Severus guessed that it was the latest as he had not recognized more Death Eaters that had been in the ceremony in which he was supposed to get the Dark Mark.

"Well, well, Ruiz, Snape. I see you followed our advice and became an item of filthy half-bloods…" taunted Mulciber.

"We're disappointed in you, Snape. We thought you were clever enough to join our side," added Avery.

Severus didn't waste time and stupefied them. He didn't fancy a chit-chat with the people who almost dragged him to a dark fate and had almost killed his fiancée. Maria reacted and copied his movements.

Avery and Mulciber were thrown back and hit their heads against a wall, knocked down. They didn't have time to get rid of Rosier, who had uttered the curse that Severus had invented for his enemies, aimed at Maria.

She froze.

If one looked very closely, a thin line across her belly was visible, a faint scar to remind her of the way her skin slashed when they cursed her in the beginning of the course. She never wanted to go through that again, yet her feet didn't move; her legs didn't obey her brain. Severus shoved her off to the floor and fell on her and Maria saw the curse hit Peter instead of her in horror.

"Peter!" she shouted, breaking free from Severus's protective grip and sprinting towards him.

 _It's my fault_ , she kept repeating her mind. _It's my fault. It shouldn't have hit him._ She had already failed Bryony. She didn't want Peter to follow her fatal fate.

"Maria," the fallen boy rasped, reaching out for her.

Maria kneeled next to him and took his hand.

"Stay awake! Severus will heal you!" she babbled, looking for Severus, who was busy dueling against Rosier. " _Joder_! Just keep your eyes open, Peter. You'll survive." [Joder= fuck]

"No… You should let me die… I'm your enemy."

"What?" she choked, shortly after casting a protection charm.

"I know you come from the future… I was the one who told You-know-who about the Prophecy…. I led him to the school…"

Maria didn't have time to ask him how he knew about her origins since he showed her his Dark Mark. She let go of his hand as if it had burned her. She felt the need to vomit. She wasn't even angry at him, just disappointed.

"I thought you were a good guy…"

"You were wrong… Just go, Maria. You can't save me. You shouldn't."

Maria gulped and forced herself to forget about him. Peter hadn't been her best friend, but he had been there for her, defending her against Mulciber and his cronies when she had needed him. She had never imagined he would betray his friends in such a cruel way. She cursed herself for not knowing he had been a Death Eater in the future. It would have saved them a lot of trouble. Still, guilt wasn't helpful when supremacist witches and wizards kept throwing curses. Hence, she pushed the culpability aside and joined Severus, who had Rosier shooting curses on his knees, almost defeated. With Maria's help, it was pretty easy to knock him down once and for all.

"Is Pettigrew still alive?" demanded Severus.

He had never liked him, but he had been shot by sectumsempra, and after witnessing what it did to Maria, he didn't wish the curse on anyone, not even on his former bully.

"I don't know. He's a traitor."

"A traitor?"

"He brought Voldemort here. That's how they all entered. Peter let them in."

And just like that, he didn't feel bad for the fact he was cursed and bleeding out like a stuck pig.

"That fucking rat!"

"Severus! Just keep fighting and forget about him!"

He didn't have time to comply orders for a thud and a wicked laughter were heard. The students stood in horror as Professor Dumbledore let go of his wand, beaten, on the floor. What chance did they have to win now?

The Death Eaters and the few dementors that were left banded together behind Voldemort and waited for his next orders while the members of the Order and Professors got all the students together. Maria and Severus spotted Regulus, and they didn't hesitate to go with him. Sirius, Remus and Lucinda were close behind, but there still was no sight of James and Lily.

Now that nobody was fighting, they could study the Great Hall, or what was remained from it. The room was almost unrecognizable due to the corpses that filled it and the furniture that had been destroyed. The smell that the tasty food gave off a few hours ago during dinner time had been substituted for an overpowering odor of blood that they had tried to ignore until then. It sickened them.

Voldemort stood tall and aimed his wand atthe one born in a time that will never come to light again, Maria, and the one who followed the Dark Lord once. He wasn't sure of whom the last one was, Regulus or Severus, but that wasn't a big deal. He just needed to murder them both.

"Maria Ruiz, you really shouldn't have come here… You are going to be the next one to follow the old fool's steps," sneered Voldemort, tilting his head towards Albus.

"You won't touch a hair of hers!" shrieked Severus, taking a step forward and shielding the witch with his own body. "You'll have to get me first!"

He was pointing his wand at the dark wizard, undaunted. Maria got a hold of his free hand. Severus didn't know if she was supporting him or if she was afraid. No matter the answer, the grip on his wand didn't slacken one bit.

Voldemort laughed wickedly and taunted, "My pleasure. It'll be fun to see you try to _vanquish_ me when the one whom I was supposed to fear is already beaten… I'd say luck isn't on your side."

"You're only afraid of us!" screeched Maria. "And you have a damn good reason to be!"

Voldemort looked at her almost diverted, not really taking her seriously.

"You are feisty; I'll give you that, but also incredibly naïve. You are fools to believe you can defeat me."

"You shouldn't underestimate us…" warned Regulus, sallying forth alongside his friends.

Voldemort smirked.

"This is entertaining, but I've had enough chatter for today."

He raised his wand, looking at the trio with loath, crinkling his mouth in disgust. The aurors, the professors and the students prepared themselves for the worst. They knew they were outnumbered, and there wasn't a chance they'd be victorious, not without Albus. Still, they were unwilling to let Voldemort win without a fight.

Severus saw askance an auburn hair color he knew all too well. He didn't know when Lily had arrived, but he wished she had run away from the chaos. He looked for James and smirked when he spotted him giving the invisibility cloak to Albus, who was still lying on the floor. Nobody was paying attention to them. They were too busy anticipating the big massacre that was about to occur. Severus could have sworn that Albus had moved, and all of a sudden, he didn't feel so pessimistic. He smirked. Lily and James had gone to get the invisibility cloak. That's why they had disappeared. Perhaps Potter wasn't as useless as he had originally thought.

Maria feared everything they had fought for had been in vain. She didn't want to die. She wasn't supposed to die, not yet. She reached for Severus's and Regulus's hands and squeezed them tight, eyes shut, waiting for the curse that would end her life. It never arrived.

An almost deafening sound brought her back to reality. The killing curse had collided with a stunning spell shot by Albus, who appeared weak, but maintained a blazing stance, invisibility cloak and resurrection stone in hand. Gasps of surprise flooded the Great Hall.

The room was illuminated with almost blinding green and red colors coming from Voldemort's and Dumbledore's wands respectively. Maria prayed that Albus was strong enough to beat Voldemort, but his hand was trembling, his shoulders hunched, and she knew that the effects of the bezoar were mitigating.

Jets of green and red light exploded on each other. The killing curse had been intercepted at the cost of Albus's strength. He was now kneeling on the floor, breathing hard. Albus was losing. Everybody knew it, including Voldemort, who couldn't help but grin evilly.

Regulus wasn't willing to accept defeat. They needed Albus to survive. If he had to die to vanquish Voldemort, he would. He guessed his fate was sealed, no matter the timeline, with or without prophecies.

He shot Maria an apologetic glance. She didn't know what he intended to accomplish until he jumped in front of Albus and screamed, "You won't kill him! You'll have to kill me first!"

She gasped and made to go after him, but Severus grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms while she shrieked and cried. She kept jerking, but he only tightened his grip on her.

Regulus wasn't the only one who shielded Albus though, Sirius joined him and looked at Voldemort defiantly. He didn't mind Sirius. His only thought when he cast the killing curse was that, at last, he knew who would die before the dawn like the prophecy had predicted. The Black brothers curled into a ball the same way they had done when Bellatrix threatened them earlier.

Those few seconds the rushing noise of the curse pinched the air were the longest Maria had ever experienced.

She felt the aurors around her starting to move, aware that the battle would continue until either Voldemort or Albus died, determined to keep the headmaster alive at all costs, knowing full well there was nothing they could do to save Regulus and Sirius.

But then she heard Remus whispering Peter's name behind her.

Maria narrowed her eyes and saw a bleeding rat scurrying towards the brothers. It transfigured itself into a very pale Peter, his clothes torn and stained with blood from the sectumsempra that was slowly killing him. She didn't know that Peter was an animagus, but she didn't give it much of a thought, not when the green light caught him. If somebody asked her, she would say that Peter mouthed the words _mischief managed_ , whatever they meant, right before passing away. But then again, she was exhausted, and she wasn't sure if that was a simple product of her imagination. What she did know was Peter died with a rascal grin on his face.

A thud. A lifeless body hitting the ground. Maria glanced at Voldemort. Dead. Then at Albus, Regulus and Sirius. Alive. The killing curse had rebounded. She understood it then: Peter had died for his friends and the cause the same way Lily had done for her son, only this time, there were no horcruxes to bring him back to life. She shut her eyes and sighed in relief.

The fight was over, the war was won.

The dementors flew away as soon as Voldemort died. The Death Eaters attempted to do the same, yet the aurors prevented them from escaping.

Maria and Severus dashed towards Regulus, Sirius and Albus. James, Lily and Remus followed them.

Sirius had tears in his eyes. His whole body was trembling. He looked at Remus and James and whispered, " _Mischief managed_ … He died right after uttering those words."

 _So I haven't imagined it_ , she thought.

James and Remus exchanged glances of utter shock, confusion and sorrow.

"What does that mean?" asked Maria.

Remus sighed and locked eyes with her.

"It means that he let the Death Eaters in. He betrayed us… He was a Death Eater, but he didn't die one…"

At that moment, the sunbeams went through the broken windows and illuminated the room. The dawn. The daylight. Another day had come, and both Regulus and Severus had survived.

They didn't have time to process it as Albus interrupted them and explained, "Indeed… We thought the prophecy referred to Regulus or Severus. We never considered Peter a possibility. We didn't know he knew about the prophecy… He followed the Dark Lord once when he let the Death Eaters in. Nevertheless, as Remus said, he didn't die for his lord. He died for all of us. Perhaps the power Voldemort didn't know about wasn't only your knowledge, Maria, but friendship, something Voldemort never experienced. Friendship made Peter change sides at the last moment."

Sirius and Remus were confused about the prophecy but didn't dig in deeper, mainly since they noticed Albus spoke slowly, in a very feeble voice, as if uttering each word was a big accomplishment in itself.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked Sirius.

Albus gave him a tired grin.

"Of course, I just need to go to Saint Mungo's… That bezoar really helped me," he said, looking at Severus with twinkling eyes, a grateful expression on his face.

Severus nodded politely in response.

"I'll go with you, sir," offered Lily, but Albus shook his head and assured her there was no need.

He thanked them all for helping him and risking his life for the cause and for him one last time and apparated before they could lodge any objection.

Around them, people celebrated, repaired the castle, retrieved the corpses and healed the injured, yet all of that looked blurry to them. At that single moment, they could only think about themselves, about what they had lost, about the success they had achieved.

Sirius looked sheepishly at his brother and held out his hand as a sign of peace and understanding. Regulus's mouth remained ajar for a second, before taking his hand and pulling him in for a hug. Despite his surprise, Sirius returned the embrace with all his might. It had been years since they had done that, and it ignited in them a nostalgic yet hopeful feeling. They wouldn't be apart, not again.

Maria smiled at the scene. She wanted to hug Regulus, mainly after truly thinking he was going to be the former Death Eater that would die, but she didn't want to ruin the family moment. She looked at Severus instead, who was eyeing her with a rare intensity. All the times she could have lost him came to mind. She felt her heart getting heavy. She didn't want to imagine her life without him and thanked the Lord he was with her. She found herself burying her head in his chest, not really caring they both were sweaty. She heard him sigh. He had one hand on her back, the other on her head, running his fingers through her disheveled hair.

Regulus and Sirius broke apart after a while, both beaming.

They saw Remus hugging James, who was holding Lily's hand while he returned the embrace with one arm, and then turned their gazes to Maria and Severus. The couple was still hugging, and Severus kissed the top of her head lovingly before kissing her softly on the lips. Maria didn't have enough with that. She grasped him by the tie and yanked his head down to deepen the kiss, which was turning more passionate and needy as the time went by. Sirius was surprised he didn't feel as awkward as he had thought but still chose to avert his eyes and walk a bit further from them.

"You'll fall in love with someone else, bro," muttered Regulus, almost reading Sirius's mind, or heart.

He gave his little brother a lopsided smirk and said, "I think my feelings aren't as strong for her as they were in the beginning of the course."

"So there's another girl?"

"Not yet. I'm still coming to terms with _all of this_."

Regulus smirked.

"Well, I suggest you give a chance to Lucinda once you are ready."

Sirius furrowed his brow.

"Lucinda Talkalot? The Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?" His brother nodded and he huffed. "Prongs says she's an insufferable chick that doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut, has a sharp tongue and is incredibly prideful."

He rolled his eyes.

"That's only because she's a better chaser than him. Besides, you know who else is a slytherin proud girl? Maria, and you were quite whipped." Sirius lowered his gaze, but that didn't stop Regulus from speaking. "I've known Lucinda for years. She's been my Captain for the past two. She's talkative and sometimes nosy, but she always helps the people she cares for. She isn't that bad. Perhaps you'll like her. She definitely likes you. I heard her friend Shafiq teasing her about it."

Regulus glimpsed at Lucinda, and Sirius followed his gaze. She was healing a sixth-year slytherin student he recognized from the Quidditch games and his eyes softened. Perhaps James had exaggerated a bit. Perhaps his brother was right, but first, he needed to recover from Maria. He sighed and told him he would go with James, Remus and Lily.

Regulus saw the perfect opportunity to tease his friends. He approached Maria and Severus, folded his arms across his chest and lifted an eyebrow, waiting for them to notice him. He saw Maria and Severus parting to breathe, resting their foreheads together. They showed no sign of acknowledgment of his presence; they were too lost in one another.

"Merlin, Severus! I thought I was going to lose you…" she whispered in a trembling voice as a single tear coursed down her cheek.

Severus wiped it away with his thumb and teased, "It's not so easy to get rid of me… You'll have to put up with my snarky remarks for a long time."

She giggled and snuggled into his chest, seeking his warmth, his heartbeat, anything that proved she wasn't dreaming.

"I didn't know your patronus was an Iberian lynx, very Spanish, may I add…" he quipped.

"I didn't know your patronus was a spider either," she teased back with a smile.

She kissed his jawline and rested her head on his chest. The smile slowly disappeared from her face as her expression turned pensive.

"Lynxes are very territorial, did you know that? Having a home is very important to me. When I came here, I felt lonely, homeless, but that changed when we began to open up to each other… I think you're my home now, my territory."

Severus smiled tenderly at her.

"Spiders always reminded me of Spinner's End, my own home, the place I finally understood you really love me," he murmured. "You saw the miserable place I came from, and you didn't look at me any different."

Maria kissed him again, never growing tired of him. To most eyes, their patroni didn't match, at least not like James's and Lily's, but Maria and Severus knew the lynx and the spider were connected as both represented home and love. They didn't need to have the same spirit guardian to feel like what they had was true love.

"I have something for you…" he panted, breaking the kiss.

Maria glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. He had also captured Regulus's attention, who watched in awe how Severus retrieved a little case from his pocket. He bobbed his head to indicate she should open it up. She did and gasped when she saw it was: a ring. It looked old, but Maria deemed that she had never seen diamonds shine so brightly, that the jewel was dreamy, precious.

"How did you get it?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on the ring, amazed by it yet a bit concerned. "It must have cost you a fortune!"

He rubbed his nape.

"Not really… It's a Prince heirloom… I sent my mother a letter and asked for it… She was excited for you to have it. She really likes you, you know? I had to persuade her not to start making wedding arrangements before I knew your answer…"

Maria giggled then, and Severus felt like he was floating. He had thought she wouldn't hear her laughing again. But there he was, alive, with the person he loved the most in the world. Her laughter died abruptly when he realized what his words implied.

"You wanted to ask for my hand?"

"I wanted to propose to you _after_ the war. I had it all planned, but you were faster than I," he said with a nervous grin.

She covered her mouth and exclaimed, her voice half-muffled but understandable, "Salazar! I spoiled everything!"

He shook his head and retrieved the hand from her mouth, tracing patterns over her palm with his thumb.

"No. You spoke from your heart. It has been one of my happiest moments, and I owe it all to you."

"But the scenario was awful, and I-"

"The scenario was perfect to expose our deepest feelings. I don't regret my decision." He paused, watching her biting her lip. Why would she do that? Was she nervous about this? Was she having second thoughts now that the war was won? When he opened his mouth, his voice was quivering as much as his hands. "Do you?"

"I don't."

He sighed in relief.

"Then you still want to marry me?"

Her face glowed and she found herself whispering a simple yet powerful word, "Always."

Joy was slowly dawning in Severus's face as if he had trouble believing he was such a lucky bastard. Not only had he survived, but he had also gained fiancée. A lucky bastard indeed. His hands were shaking, and he the ring almost fell over in his clumsy attempt to put it on her. He blushed, cursing himself for letting his emotions reduce him to such a gauche ball and making a fool of himself in front of her. Maria bit back a laugh and pecked his cheek.

"Relax, Severus," she said with an amused grin, although she was melting inside.

He gulped.

"I think I need a proper kiss to relax," he confessed, averting her eyes. "We were interrupted before, so I didn't really have time to assimilate it, but now… Bloody hell! We're getting married!"

Maria erupted into laughter and surrendered to his wishes. He kissed her back and she felt how his body stopped trembling progressively. He sighed into the kiss, and Maria knew he was ready, calm. She pulled away.

There was an intense look in his dark eyes, and he merely requested, "I need another. I'm not relaxed enough."

"Now, Severus. You and I both know you're ready to put the ring on me," she said, wiggling her fingers to emphasize her point. "You're just saying that to steal another kiss."

Of course. She was a slytherin mind. She knew how his mind worked. He wasn't surprised she had seen right through his little lie, but he could still insist, couldn't he?

"Is it such a crime that I want a kiss from my fiancée?"

She shook her head, not bothering to fight back a grin, and pecked his lips, not letting it turn into something passionate. He huffed, but Maria simply smirked and teased, "You have no excuse now, Mr. Snape."

Severus looked at her fondly and finally put the ring on her. Although it looked small at first glance, it was charmed to adjust perfectly to her size. He was mesmerized by the sight of his hand holding hers with the silver ring on.

"Bloody hell! You're engaged?!" cried out Regulus, who hadn't commented on anything earlier due to the shock.

The magical moment was broken, but Maria and Severus didn't seem to mind it much.

"Maria proposed to me in the middle of the Battle," provided Severus, hugging her by the waist with one arm and bringing her close to him, proudly, almost possessively, not wanting to let go of her.

Regulus's first impulse was to laugh. He thought it was a joke. It wasn't. He saw it in their faces. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Usually, witches weren't the ones to propose, at least in pureblood families. The wizards courted the witches and asked for their hand. Those were the lucky ones. Most had arranged marriages. But then again, Maria was a muggle-born witch from the future, and she had always shown a rebel side. Being the one to propose suited her, especially in the middle of a bloody war. She was quite impulsive under stress.

He cracked a broad smile then, and teased, "And you agreed to such a big commitment without having had, you know, _sex_ , before?"

Severus was shocked at his bluntness, but he soon gave him a cocky grin.

"Who says we haven't had sex before, Regulus?"

The boy pressed his lips thin and looked at Maria for reassurance. She was blushing and biting her bottom lip. He knew it then. Those two had finally been intimate.

"Bloody hell! Maria, you need to tell me _how_ it happened and _when_ it happened!"

"I highly doubt she'll tell you…" mumbled Severus with a low chuckle.

"Oh, we're siblings… She'll tell me… someday."

Maria groaned.

"Won't you ever change? We have just won a war and the first thing you worry about is my sexual life!"

Regulus shrugged and Maria simply shook her head and laughed. She had been so afraid of not hearing him teasing her about sex ever again, she had been so close to losing him that her legs sprinted towards him and her arms wrapped him in a tight embrace, never wanting to let go.

"Thank Merlin you're here," she whispered, tightening the grip even more. "I was so frightened…"

Regulus had been terrified too, but he didn't want to reflect on it.

Instead, he patted her back and whispered, "Congratulations, Maria… Severus really loves you."

"And I him… _¡Oh Dios mío!_ I'm engaged!" she exclaimed, showing him the ring. _[¡Oh Dios mío!_ = Oh my God!]

Regulus chuckled and shook hands with Severus. Both were smiling. They didn't talk, but they knew that both were relieved the other had survived. Suddenly, someone hugged Severus from behind.

"I'm glad you weren't the one from the prophecy… You're my best friend. You have always been," whispered a voice he recognized as Lily's.

He felt the same, but the words wouldn't come to his mouth, so he simply squeezed her hand in response.

"We have just seen you giving the ring to Maria… It's nice to see you followed my advice for once, Sev," she half-teased in the end.

"Me too," he said with a rare smile and a chuckle, without taking his eyes off of his fiancée.

Lily hugged Regulus and Maria.

Severus was left alone with the people who had bullied him during his stay at Hogwarts, the enemies who hadn't really bothered him since Maria came save for Sirius's episodic jealousy, that is. It was weird to see only three marauders. They were like an incomplete puzzle. Severus wasn't really sorry Peter had died in his or Regulus's place though. They exchanged looks and instantly knew that they would never be friends, but that after going through a Battle like this together, there was no reason to hold grudges. Not when they had saved each other's lives. Not when his friend Lily was about to marry James. Not when he was about to marry their friend Maria. Severus nodded solemnly at them, and they all imitated him.

"Why did you do it?" he asked, glancing at Sirius.

"Do what?"

"Push me away. The curse was about to hit me, but you had no reason to save me…"

Sirius grinned ruefully and whispered, "I may not like you, but I don't want to see you dead either, not when Maria cares so much for you, not when my brother considers you his friend."

Severus was left speechless, and Maria joined his side and smiled at Sirius. She had overheard them and she had only two words for him, _thank you_.

She had followed her gut and given Sirius many chances. She had thought he was a good guy until he gave her that love potion. She had assumed they would never be friends then, but after the past events, Maria knew that Sirius had changed. And she was glad.

The unimaginable happened then. Sirius reached his hand out, looking straight at Severus, who lifted an eyebrow in suspicion. His eyes roamed from his hand to Maria, who tilted her head to encourage him. They shook hands even though Severus looked grumpy and almost obliged. Maria knew those were mostly theatrics, and smiled.

She had travelled back in time. She had proved that gryffindors and slytherins could be friends. She had helped defeat Voldemort. Lily and James would bring up their son. Regulus and Severus hadn't died for the war nor lived as Death Eaters. She had lost a family, but she had gained another one. Her eyes focused on her engagement ring then, and her smile enlarged. She had built a brighter future. She hadn't been able to save everybody… Tobias Snape and Bryony Shafiq were on the list, among others. Still, the thought that there wouldn't be a Second Wizarding War was comforting. There was still work to do, of course there was. But then again, Maria was certain of one thing: it was never too late to change fate if only one was ambitious and determined enough to take the helm of their lives.

 **THE END**

 **A/N:** _Hey! So this is the end of this piece of fanfiction._

 _I'd like you to know that I am thinking about writing an epilog :)_

 _"It's not too late" is the first story I've ever posted, so I am aware it probably has many mistakes and aspects that should improve. Still, I gave my best, and I am really grateful that some people actually read it and even favorited and followed it. Each review meant the world to me and I'd be grateful if you left me one last review of this chapter or the story in general._

 _I usually reply to every review, but I can't do that with guest reviews, so I just wanted to thank each guest reviewer for encouraging me. Your reviews made my day. Special thanks to HarmonyFan14 for being there since the very beginning ;)_

 _Until next time!_

 _FelixFelicisWriter_


	32. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 _Year 1984_

"I can't believe Black invited me to his wedding," grumped Severus, as he fastened the last button of his black chemise.

Maria's giggle resonated across the bedroom. Severus saw in the mirror as her figure approached him from behind. She pecked his cheek and reminded him, "We invited him to our wedding too."

"It was _your_ idea, not mine," he stressed as if that made a difference. "It probably was Talkalot's idea too… Why would she want me there? We aren't close…"

"You and I are a pack now. We're married. She cannot invite _only_ me. That would be rude."

Severus huffed and sulked while Maria combed his recently washed hair, not a trace of grease in it. She put the hair comb in a drawer and turned around.

"What the hell did Talkalot see in that _dog_ anyway?"

"Severus, that _dog_ saved your arse in the Battle of Hogwarts…" she said, straightening his clothes.

He was about to retort he had pranked him to his death as well but wisely refrained from it. He knew the topic distressed her. She preferred forgiving, especially since Sirius behaved civilly to him ever since the war ended.

He groaned.

"Do I really have to go to their wedding?"

"Yes."

"But we aren't friends!

"You better keep those immature comments to yourself during the ceremony," she warned, poking his chest.

"Well, we are still home. I can rant all I want here," he muttered under his breath, folding his arms across his chest. "I can be immature if I please."

The pout on his face was adorable, but that didn't stop her from whining, "Severus!"

"What?" he asked innocently, shrugging.

She shook her head and let out a giggle. He'd never change.

"You know I like your grouchiness, but do you think you can stop being grumpy for a minute and help me knot your tie?"

Severus sighed and did as told reluctantly. Maria ignored his scowl and focused on adjusting her own backless purple silk dress in front of the mirror.

"Am I showing?" she asked worriedly, caressing her belly. "Lately my clothes feel tighter… I think I am starting to put on some weight."

His bad temper cooled down at the sight to the point his lips twitched into a small smile and his eyes glistened. Making him smile was a talent Maria had always possessed. She was wearing contact lenses, and the lack of glasses made it easier for Severus to cup his wife's face and bring her close enough to capture her plump lips in a lingering kiss that left them both breathless.

"You look exquisite," he panted, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"What if the dress isn't loose enough? What if they find out? This is Lucinda's and Sirius's day… Not ours… I don't want to shadow their wedding with the pregnancy…"

She took her wand to modify the dress with simple transfiguration spells, but Severus caught her wrist.

"Maria, you're only eight weeks pregnant… Nobody will notice it. There's no need to change the dress. You look stunning."

Any doubt she had vanished the moment she felt him kissing her again. They didn't know how long they spent snogging, but Maria finally dragged him to the ceremony. They sat in between Lily and Regulus, who gave them a knowing look when they noticed their swollen lips and some lipstick on Severus's mouth and neck.

"You were almost late because you were making babies?" asked Regulus.

Severus actually blushed while Lily suppressed a titter. She cast a charm and the evidence of the lipstick disappeared, although their lips remained puffy.

Maria bit her bottom lip. If only he knew there was a life growing inside of her already.

"Bloody hell, Regulus! You haven't changed! If you must know, we were snogging. And why do you care anyway?"

He shrugged.

"I just like teasing you. It's a siblings' thing."

Maria rolled her eyes in response. She couldn't argue against that. He gave her a triumphant smirk and pecked her on the cheek. She shook her head and gave a little laugh. She loved him so much. She didn't want him to change, ever, no matter how much he annoyed her. That was a siblings' thing, too. She couldn't wait to tell him he will be an uncle pretty soon.

The wedding began. Lucinda Talkalot became Lucinda Black at last, and the feast commenced.

Maria saw little Harry and Draco playing and giggling together. Children's laughter is one of the most contagious things in the world, and Maria wasn't immune to it. She let out a giggle and unconsciously put her hands on her belly. She was looking forward to motherhood, to having a child like them running through the house, spilling the milk and bringing so much joy. Severus caught a glimpse of her hands on her belly, of her gaze fixed on Harry and Draco. He knew what she was thinking, and he found himself grinning softly.

The Potters and the Malfoys were dancing while Maria and Severus watched over their children. Narcissa and Lucius actually looked happy. Their smiles weren't evident, but their eyes sparkled.

Severus hadn't thought they'd be able to live a normal life after knowing about their departure in the middle of the Battle of Hogwarts. Everybody had thought they would be sent to Azkaban. Revealing the name of every Death Eater they knew to help the aurors capture them was their ticket to avoid prison. Still, most people were wary of them. They believed that the Malfoys had only done that to save their skin and that they still were corruptive people deep down. What Maria knew was that they were nothing like Bellatrix, otherwise, they wouldn't look at Draco with so much adoration, they wouldn't look after him and try to make amends for their past. Severus was actually quite close to Lucius, mainly since he had invented the cure against Dragon Pox and saved Abraxas Malfoy, as promised.

Narcissa and Lucius finally approached the Snape-Ruizs.

"Thank you for watching over my son… We won't bother you anymore. You shall dance now," said Lucius.

Severus nodded and guided Maria to the dancefloor. Neither of them noticed the way Narcissa was eyeing Maria. They were too lost in each other.

"She was looking at Draco and Harry and had her hands on her belly," Narcissa whispered to her husband, grinning triumphantly as if she had just solved a puzzle.

He was about to ask her what that mattered, but Narcissa put her hands on her belly to make him remember. She had been pregnant with Draco the last time she had done that. His eyes widened.

"Do you think she-"

"Oh, I don't think so. I know it."

He cracked a grin.

"Well, well. Our Severus is growing up," he muttered amused, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm tempted to interrupt their dance and welcome the couple to parenthood."

Narcissa gave a little laugh and shook her head, "Don't you dare! If they haven't told us, it's because they don't want us to know yet…"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you suggesting that we pretend we knew nothing when they finally tell us?"

She made a humming sound.

"We owe them. Breaking such good news is always special. Let them have their moment."

Lucius sighed and hugged Narcissa by the waist. She always persuaded him. His eyes roamed from his son, who was chasing Harry in what looked like a tag game, to Severus and Maria.

The couple danced until their feet hurt and the party was over. Severus was particularly glad they could return home, although he had to admit that it hadn't gone half as bad as he had expected. The food had been delectable; the music had been the perfect excuse to dance with his beaming wife in his arms; and the company had been good, especially because he had stuck to Maria, Lily, Regulus, Lucius and Narcissa. Remus, James and even Sirius had greeted him and exchanged some polite words, but nothing else. They respected each other. That was more than Severus would have deemed possible.

Back at home, Maria let out a tired puff and tumbled into bed without a second thought. She lay on her side, giving her back to her husband shortly after changing into her pajamas and thanking him for behaving during the feast with a chaste kiss.

Severus joined her in bed and stared at her form, unsure of whether she had already drifted off to sleep or not. He put a hand on her waist. She didn't move, although her respiration hitched ever so slightly. She wasn't asleep; at least, Severus would bet so.

It was there, in their bed, nuzzling his nose against her hair, that his mind began to wander. He felt like the luckiest man on Earth. Not only was he married and about to become a father, but he also worked in Saint Mungo's. He knew he would have been able to get the job on his own, but he thanked Maria and Horace for their support every day before falling asleep. He had wanted to work in Saint Mungo's as a potioneer ever since he was a kid, when he covered his ears and shut his eyes while his parents brawled, when he dreamed of a better life. Brewing, experimenting, researching, finding cures… It was a demanding, difficult job, but it was his passion, and he wouldn't change it for anything in the world, mostly not for a teacher's position at Hogwarts, the profession of his other life, the profession of his wife.

Professor Ruiz was known at Hogwarts as the Muggle Studies teacher, the Head of Slytherin House and, above all, a war hero. She was quite young for working at Hogwarts, but then again, Lily had also joined her and become the Potions Mistress after Horace Slughorn retired. She never felt alone with her gryffindor friend. Dumbledore had offered Maria a job as the Ancient Runes Professor or the Muggle Studies teacher. Considering she had always been into Transfiguration and Ancient Runes, it may appear shocking that she chose the latter, but Severus hadn't been surprised at all. He knew Maria well. He knew she was fed up with the stupid rivalries between houses that were still palpable after the war. He knew she wanted to make sure that nobody discriminated on the grounds of blood statuses. What better example than to have a muggle-born slytherin teaching Muggle Studies?

Maria's ambition hadn't stopped at that level though. After becoming a Head of House, she talked to Minerva McGonagall about an idea she had to shorten and facilitate the process of becoming an animagus. The Gryffindor and Slytherin Head of the House quickly formed a team to research the topic, and they worked phenomenally well.

Their jobs kept the Snape-Ruiz's busy, but they always found time to spend with each other. Severus and Maria had been trying to have a baby for two years already. It hadn't been easy, but now that Maria was pregnant, Severus felt ridiculously happy, exultant like he had never been or deemed possible before. He wasn't as grumpy as usual and he found himself laughing more easily. He didn't even care about her morning sickness and her sometimes moody temper. It was worth it.

He remembered how excited his mother had been when they had gotten married. He had never seen her smiling so much. He couldn't wait to tell her she was going to be the grandmother of a girl that would be named after her, although with a Spanish touch. Eileen came from Helen, and Maria reckoned that Elena Snape-Ruiz was perfect. Severus was enchanted with the idea too. He'd have a real family, and he owed it all to the witch that was in his arms.

Severus kissed her cheek, spooned her and whispered, " _Te amo_." [I love you]

He felt a shiver running down her spine. He smiled slyly. He knew she wasn't sleeping. Of course, she would pretend to be asleep just to feel him cuddling her and kissing her cheek.

Maria twisted so that they were face to face, flashed him a radiant grin and teased, "Have you looked for the phrase in the dictionary behind my back just to impress me?"

"Did it work?" he wondered, lifting an eyebrow.

Of course it had worked. She always melted into him when he surprised her with Spanish words. He didn't need the reassurance, but it was still both comforting and fun to hear it. Only this time Maria simply chuckled. Why would she? She should be snogging him, not laughing. At least, that's what she always did when Severus flattered her in Spanish.

He had promised himself he would study the language. He had a feeling Maria would speak in Spanish to their unborn daughter. Besides, whenever she argued with him, she switched to her mother tongue unconsciously. It was funny and it turned him on to the point most arguments ended with ardent kisses and something more, but he really wanted to understand her. It was part of her, and he wanted to surprise her.

"What? Did I pronounce it incorrectly?"

Maria shook her head and admitted, "You pronounced it well, if one disregards your thick British accent."

He rolled his eyes and snorted, "Your Spanish accent is quite detectable too, even after all these years here…"

"Yep, but you love it, don't you? If I recall correctly, you even think it is _sexy_."

Severus ran his fingers down her spine as he murmured in a lower pitch, "That's because it _is_ sexy."

Maria cursed herself for blushing as if they were still teenagers in school. Severus smirked at her reaction and pressed a smacking kiss on her lips. He was lost in her warmth, in their passion, and when the kiss finally reached its end, Maria whispered, " _Yo también te amo,_ Severus. _Muchísimo._ " [I love you too, Severus, so much.]

Her words caressed his soul. He would have understood them in any language just by the way her whole face lit up. Just like every time she said she loved him, his heart skipped a bit. He would never get used to hearing the words he had craved for more than half of his life, but he was fine with it as long as she kept telling him she cherished him just as much as he did her.

Severus stole another kiss and murmured, "You make me so happy."

Maria smiled and put her hand on his heart.

"You make me happy too."

He kept tracing her jawline. He loved it when she leant into his touch as if that was everything she needed. She didn't do it now though. In fact, she was frowning.

Severus was about to ask her what the matter was, but there was no need for she inquired, "What do you think the Maria that has yet to be born will do? She won't meet you… There is no need to change the timeline now… I… Will I ever be happy without you?"

Severus was struck for a moment. There was real fear in her brown eyes with green grains.

"Perhaps you'll come back to me anyway. Who knows for sure? Not even the old twat." She almost chuckled. He still called Dumbledore like that, after everything they had been through. "What I know is that you are too mulish not to fight for your happiness. The future you from this reality will be fine, Maria. Now give your mind a rest and cuddle me."

She chuckled. Of course he'd say that. Not like she minded. Hugging him was a good idea. It would certainly calm her down. Maria shut her eyes and buried her head in the crook of his shoulder, her arms over his chest. His fingers were playing with her hair, and she almost purred like a cat. She fell asleep shortly after to the sound of his heartbeat, but not before thanking Merlin for leading her to Severus and teaching her it never was too late to change the odds.

…

 **A/N:** _This story is officially complete now. Thank you for reading it! It's the first story I've ever wanted to tell and post on a site like this. I wanted to give Severus a happy ending because he deserves it. I figured that life would have treated him better if he hadn't been a Death Eater or, better yet, if Voldemort's horcruxes had been destroyed before Harry was born. This is how "It's not too late" originated :)_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Reviews are always welcome :)_

 _Have a nice day!_

 _FelixFelicisWriter_


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